Imperium et Libertas
by Shadow-Ocelot
Summary: Perhaps the bullet that Benny put in her head caused some lasting damage, or maybe it just opened her eyes to another view on the world. The Courier's descent into the world of the Legion and the struggle within her conscience as she decides her fate.
1. A Single Step

Disclaimer: Bethesda made New Vegas. I only write fanfiction.

Author's Note: First New Vegas story. I decided to concentrate on the Legion. They're an interesting bunch. I also thought it would be fascinating to get into the mind of the courier that would choose to help them and why, particularly a woman. Whereas it would have been fun to write a character that started out some evil watch the world burn type of individual I want someone who is as normal as you and me to have to grapple with the complexities of the Legion and follow every step of the way as her mind struggles with their methods and why she finally decides to join them. Oh, and plenty of Vulpes in later chapters. Hopefully it will be a fun and emotional ride. Enjoy and R&R! Feedback is delightful. I'll put a good word in for you to Caesar if you do. -wink-

_Imperium et Libertas _means _Empire and Liberty_

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_Audaces fortuna iuvat_

_(Fortune Favors the Bold)_

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**Chapter I**

**A Single Step**

She was lost again. In the fading light of day the pip boy's screen bathed a harsh green light over her face as she considered the map for the twentieth time that day. She had started in Nipton earlier that morning, before the sun had even risen, for she could not contain the clenching anticipation in her stomach. She couldn't even pinpoint if she was more nervous or excited. In her entire life she'd never dared to do something of this magnitude, nor figured herself capable of it. Since her youth she'd tried to play it straight and keep to herself. She'd been raised to follow the laws, be a decent person, and she'd even begun a life of her own, taking that damned job as a courier. It had been going very well until…

Regardless of the past she was here now, making the decision that she knew would shape the rest of her life, and most possibly the lives of everyone else in the Mojave wasteland and beyond. She'd always prided herself on knowing the right choices to make and when to make them. It was just a surprise that when that legion soldier had approached her on the strip, inviting her to meet with Caesar in that smooth voice of his, that she had replied, without even blinking that she would accept that invitation. A few months ago she wouldn't have even entertained the idea of politely _lying_ to the man and would likely have told him to go fuck himself. Yet there was something about him, this _Vulpes Inculta,_ that weaved strands of intrigue around her and she'd been unable to say no to him.

It should have worried her that the only reason she had considered dancing over the line onto Legion territory had been not because she had any particular interest in the Legion, oh no, she knew nothing about them except for their methods of punishment, but because of a man that had mystery stamped all over him had asked her to come. Sure, it had been only because Caesar had asked him to deliver the invitation (and he had mentioned that little worm Benny would likely end up there, too), but she didn't care. Between the meeting on the strip and their first encounter in the ruined little town of Nipton she couldn't get him out of her head. Never in her twenty-something years had she met a man that radiated such an intimidating, yet elegant flair. He could have been the devil himself all she knew.

Scarlet's finger tapped the screen, her nail making a dull clicking as she did so, and followed the road that she was on. She was _here_ (she tapped again) and Cottonwood Cove was _here_ (tap) and about twenty minutes ago she'd been _there_ (tap, tap) where she'd been attacked by some feral ghouls that looked like they'd wanted to rip her to pieces and make her into courier sushi. With a curse she saw a path, a narrow little valley that led through the hills down into the cove and the river where she was supposed to meet Cursor Lucullus at the ferry. She had completely missed it.

"Fuck." She whispered to the wasteland, her hand coming up to palm her face. She was too tired and so goddamned hungry. Her body had been tense enough that morning that she'd skipped breakfast, hoping that the nauseous feeling would go away, and as the day progressed she'd had no time to stop and have a snack. Her stomach was empty, it was getting dark, and she had completely missed her turn.

_This better be fucking worth it._ She grumbled as she turned the map off. She had considered the option that the Legion was what it seemed to be, a bunch of freaks wearing weird armor and traipsing around the Mojave burning settlements and preaching bullshit. If that was the case her plan was to smile and nod and praise their brilliant tactics then get the hell out of there and never go back. Now she was hoping they weren't or she was going to be really pissed because of all the trouble she was going through to find them. They had at least better give her an opportunity to beat the living hell out of Benny. _You're a dramatic fucking bastard, Caesar, so you better put on a good show._

Behind her she heard a few rocks tumbling down the face of the high cliffs, and then a few lumbering footfalls, heavy and inhuman. She paused in her thoughts to listen, hand reaching for the .357 pistol she had hanging from her hip. More rocks falling, a familiar hissing sound, and she propelled herself forward just in time to avoid a lunging attack from a fire Gecko that meant to take her head off. She hit the ground and rolled, her foot catching the ground and spinning her so she could face her reptilian foe. The gun in her hand lifted, fired. One, two, three shots and the beast was down.

A smile cracked her lips as that wave of adrenaline-fueled arrogance crept its way in her chest. Serves it right, trying to come up behind her like that to…

_Pain._

Something slammed into her from the side, knocking her flat onto the ground and she could feel a throbbing pain shoot across her arm where a second gecko had flashed its claws down it. Scarlet scrambled to her feet and snatched up the gun that had been knocked from her hand and continued to back pedal as she attempted to get a clean shot, but it kept lunging and hissing at her, moving too swiftly for her to make a straight line in her sights.

"Stay still you cocksucker!" She shouted. This was turning out to be an obnoxious fucking day. First she'd run into a whole group of ferals that had nearly left her bleeding to death near some kind of Brahmin farm, and then there was the NCR troopers she'd run into outside an irradiated city, who for a few moments had scared the hell out of her, thinking that they had to have known what she was up to and were going to shoot her dead on the spot. After that was her delightful little detour into nowhere. All of this on an empty stomach accompanied by a headache the size of the Grand Canyon. "Fuck you, fucking lizard!"

She fired anyway, too pissed to care if a few shots went wild. _Some_ of them had to hit. Luckily they did and it fell, causing a poof of dust around its body as it landed. She gave a relieved sigh, but wasn't foolish enough to believe it was the end. Her eyes scanned the area and she saw a few more up on the rocky outcropping. Before they, too, had a chance to notice her she turned and headed off towards her destination again. It wouldn't do to be late for a talk with the mighty Caesar because she was in the belly of a mutated lizard, wouldn't do at all.

-X-

Scarlet reached Cottonwood Cove without any more trouble. She even enjoyed the walk down the path. Even before she reached the bottom she could see the crystalline waters and the bustling legionaries. Before she stepped clearly into view she stopped and watched for a few minutes, her heart thudding deeply in her chest. She could hear the rushing of her blood in her ears and she realized that she was afraid. She clenched the Mark of Caesar that she had stuffed in her pocket.

"_This mark will grant you passage through our lands," _Vulpes had said. He had promised her safety.

"Yes, Scarlet," she whispered, "but he's also the man that had an entire town tortured, burned, crucified." But he was also the man that did it because he had felt that the town had been unworthy because of disloyalty and moral corruption. Was that the kind of man that would lie to her?

Her lip stung and she gasped. She'd been biting her lower lip hard as she thought about her situation. She supposed it wasn't too late to turn around and go back to New Vegas. The Legion would never have to know how close she'd come to their lands and neither would anyone else. She could just forget about the whole thing – and then she saw his face in her mind and heard the cruel sensuality of his voice.

Goddamnit, the things she did for men.

Recalling the cool demeanor of his face, the confidence that surrounded him, she forced herself to stand straighter, calm the shaking in her hands and set her mouth in a thin determined line. She was here because of him, because she wanted to learn more about the kind of man he was, and the kind of people that he hailed from. "Awe Caesar." She mumbled to herself and began to walk towards the settlement.

To her surprise many of the soldiers didn't even pay attention to her as she strode purposefully through her ranks. In fact some of them just merely greeted her with appropriate Legion greetings. One man did step in her way as she neared the dock, cutting her vision off from her destination. "What are you doing here, profligate?"

"I have business with Caesar." She told the man, and as she spoke the fluttering fear began to leave her. There was courage in her tone, and boldness. The mark was retrieved from her pocket and she held it in her hand for him to see. "I've been invited to speak with him."

The soldier standing before her looked shocked. "You must be the one Cursor Lucullus is waiting for. I do not know why Caesar has called someone like _you_, much less a woman. However, that is not my place to question, continue on, but remember, mark or no mark there will be eyes on you every step of the way."

"I intend no harm to your camp." She replied, "nor do I wish any harm upon the Legion's leader. I am here because I felt it would be disrespectful to decline an invitation from such an esteemed person."

He regarded her for a few moments before stepping out of her way and allowing her to pass. She fought the urge to look back, but knew she must continue to appear confident in their eyes. The Legion despised weakness, and in a way so did she. If she could not at least walk the walk then she did not deserve to be here.

"Cursor Lucullus, I presume?" She inquired of the man at the end of the docks. He had been gazing out at the water until she'd spoken and slowly turned his head to look at her.

"I am. What business do you have?"

"I am the Courier." She explained, hating the way it sounded coming out of her mouth. It was a stupid way to be known, especially when she wasn't even a courier anymore. "You've been expecting me."

-X-

The Legion's home camp was officially called Fortification Hill and she believed that it was a most fitting name for the place. Boarded stairways wrapped around the raised ground as it wound ever up to the topmost plateau. That was where she'd find Caesar's tent, his throne room. She was a little disgusted with herself that she managed to ignore the heavily burdened slaves that struggled throughout the area, the looks of lost sorrow written upon their dirty and haggard faces. But it really was all too easy, especially when the only thing she had to do was keep her eyes straight and focus on the soldiers she was passing, the boards on the ground, and the edges of the inclines so she wouldn't fall and break an ankle, or worse. She'd feel like a damned fool if she made it all the way here just to trip and kill herself.

As she walked she heard whispers about someone called 'the burning man.' She had never heard that phrase before and figured it was some kind of Legion-unique myth or history. Scarlet couldn't tell which one because some people whispered the name in fear, others muttered about it like it was idiocy. Perhaps she would ask, if time permitted and things went well. There was a part of her that knew that it probably wasn't any of her business, but she'd always had that damned curiosity streak in her. It didn't do her well to know there was something out there she didn't know anything about.

The guards at the top let her pass into Caesar's tent and she smoothed her clothes nervously before entering the main room. She felt naked without her guns and other usual items. The guards at the entrance of the fort had taken nearly everything from her, minus the few holdout weapons she'd managed to slip by. She hoped nothing would happen for her to need them. She didn't keep them out of disrespect; she kept them because this was a funny damned place and in the wasteland you were a fool if you gave up all your weapons. Hell, she hated to hand them over at places like the casinos in the Strip, much less to a group of war hungry soldiers who might just turn on her if events didn't go as planned.

At first she almost didn't recognize Vulpes Inculta. Every time she'd seen him up to this point he'd been wearing something completely different. Now the two images snapped together. He was wearing his legion armor, but the canine hide headdress was gone. A sneer twisted his lips as she entered, his arms crossing over his chest as she approached. For longer than she intended her eyes lingered on him, watching the way his muscles moved beneath his skin, studying the curves of his face. _At least there's something pretty to look at in this place._ She thought to herself. She returned his sneer, but with a playful addition, "fancy meeting you here, Vulpes."

"Indeed."

She turned her attention to Caesar himself who, at the moment, looked nothing more than an older man, graying silver hair. In another setting he might have appeared even amicable. "Hello Caesar. I do believe you wanted to talk to me."

"Ah, the Courier of the wastes." He greeted. "You've been quite the news maker the last month or so. I would expect nothing less from a woman who rose from the dead and tracked her killer across the Mojave."

"You seem to know a lot about me then."

"Not everything," he admitted, "but I know enough to understand that someone like you could do much good for someone like me, and an army such as the Legion."

"Why would I want to help you?" She asked. It was a bold statement from a woman in the middle of a man-dominated world such as the Legion's. If it hadn't been for the inquisitive tone she used it might have also been taken as a challenge of his authority.

Caesar luckily did not see this as a challenge, at least not of his leadership, nor of his ways, because he only chuckled (although the other soldiers didn't seem impressed with her mouth), "because you, like us, hate the wasteland as it is now. It is nothing but a pit of snakes and vile excrement. People using other people, death, sickness. The Legion wants to take control and change all that. I want to lead the world into a rebirth, united with one ideal."

"And what ideal would that be?" She inquired, her tone casual as her eyes drifted across him, his guard, the tent. "All men are created equal, except of course those that would make good slaves and the women intended to service you like cattle?"

"I expected your narrow-minded view, but I do not hold it against you. Your mind has been tainted by the wastes, by the stubbornness of its inhabitants to hang on to its old ways. They do not see that these ways led the entire planet to slaughter and ruin."

"The bombs you mean?"

"Precisely. Everyone wants to return the world to its former glory. I say, what is the point of bringing back an old regime that apparently didn't work."

"You may have a point, Caesar," she said, and she was noticing that every time she spoke she said his name as the Legion did, not as the outsiders did, "but I would require a little more than your own twisted version of the 'I have a dream' speech to bet my chips on you… so to speak."

"And what would you require?"

"I want to know more about the man that wants me to work for him, more about the army that I might serve in – oh, and I mean serve _in_ not serve _for_. I didn't survive a bullet in the head just to hand myself over to someone as a slave."

"There is a thin line between bravery and stupidity, my dear, and you do know that I could have you collared, branded, and shoved in the slave's pen before daybreak if I so chose."

Instead of being threatened she was amused and merely smiled at the leader, "yes, but then you wouldn't get from me what you want. Whatever that is. I would have already been thrown into your slave pen if that is what you wanted of me, but I am standing here, talking to you. That means I have more value than a mere slave to you. Now, tell me about yourself, Caesar, and how you rose this magnificent army of yours, or I will turn around and walk away. I've already died once, I suppose I am not afraid to die again."

There was a terrible silence that made her think her bluff had failed. Then she heard him begin to speak. He was telling her his tale, how he was born in some place far from here, was left with a struggling mother, had joined the Followers, and then his fateful mission that led him to birth the idea of the Legion, the one where he'd taken the first tribes that he was supposed to study, but instead showed how to fight and acclimated them together. The war machine rattled on until the Legion was like a snowball straight out of hell and here he was today.

"Hm. That's a very interesting story." She said truthfully. "There is still much to learn about your ways before I decide completely to join with your cause, but that with time. As of now I would be most interested in hearing what you called me here for. This is not a mere meet and greet."

"True. I have in my possession something that has cost you very much. A particular platinum chip."

This got her attention. It was then her eyes swiveled to the right side of the tent where she'd noticed Benny. Until then she'd ignored him, believing if she did so it would punctuate just how insignificant he really was to her. He looked deliciously fearful, bound and on his knees, surrounded by men that would take his head off without so much of a blink of the eye. "Then you retrieved it from him."

"I did. Since you've been inside the Lucky 38 I will assume that you know more about this than most. I will also assume that Mr. House has asked you to get it and do something for him. I am asking you to _not_ do it. There is a bunker beneath our feet that holds the sigil of the Lucky 38, and we believe that this chip is the key to getting inside."

"It very well may be." She betrayed no sign of it being the truth or not. "If it is?"

"I want you to go inside and destroy everything you find. House wants what's down there and I intend to stop him. His hold on the Mojave needs to end. His haven for vice and moral debauchery must be put down. The beginning of that lies in that bunker. Would you help us?"

She thought hard for a few minutes. She didn't like Mr. House; that much was clear. She smiled and pretended to give a damn about his little plan but she hated the pomposity of his very presence, but the second that Yes Man had informed her of another way she had been willing to take that. The idea of taking over the Mojave was a temptation at the very least. If she did what Caesar was asking she was closing the door on that possibility forever. _Hell, I wouldn't make a very good leader anyway._ She finally decided. She may not necessarily agree with Caesar and his Legion but she did think that House had to be stopped so it seemed for the moment their plans ran parallel. "I'll do it. I'll destroy Mr. House's toys. In exchange I want the option to walk away if I so choose when it is done."

"Granted. If you do this for me I will owe you a favor in kind. If you decide to leave you may do so. I however want to impress the difference you could make if you were on our side."

"Time will tell." She replied. Unless there was something she wasn't seeing about them she couldn't imagine herself siding with the Legion. Of course, she couldn't see herself siding with the NCR either. They were the lesser of the two evils that plagued the Mojave, but they still didn't have what it took to do any good. They had been better off without the distraction of the republic in their face. Most likely she would kill Mr. House's plans, thank Caesar for his hospitality, and then get the heck of dodge before he changed his mind.

Caesar stretched out his hand and within it was the chip. "There is a building that leads down into the bunker. I'll have one of my men take you there. From that point you are by yourself."

Scarlet came forward and took the chip. It felt warm in her palm and she closed her fingers around it. She had almost expected a choir of angels to sing and a bright light to shine upon her when it was back in her hands. It had caused her so much discomfort since she'd first encountered it. Now she had it back, and instead of it causing her any more trouble she was going to use it to get back at those that had torn her life to pieces because of it. Her eyes flickered up to Vulpes, remembering the way he had taken out his own brand of justice on the people of Nipton. It was time for Scarlet's justice now. Mr. House would pay for his flippant disregard of her pain due to that damned chip and his plans. She'd also destroy Benny's plans of taking over the Strip, too.

The balance of the world had changed. In her hand she held power itself. For once in her life she had true control over what happened. She discovered that she liked the feeling.


	2. No Mercy For Swine

Thanks for the alerts and faves, everyone!

Heulwen: Yeah, I'm realizing that as I play (about the shortness), but I'm hoping to use some personal liberties to extend the plot-line and add more story for it in my fic. I haven't determined how long I want this yet, but I am hoping for it to last long enough for the personal story between Scarlet and Vulpes to progress in a realistic manner. Hope you continue to enjoy.

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Chapter II**

**No Mercy for Swine**

_Nipton, Approximately One Month Ago_

The man formerly known as the mayor of Nipton was screaming, tears of horror running down his reddened face. Through his blubbered words it was apparent that he could not truly grasp his crimes, and instead continued to beg for his life stating that he had _helped_ the legion, and hadn't he positioned the NCR and the vile Powder Gangers into their places so that he and his men could take them? Vulpes Inculta knew there was no hope for men like Joseph Steyn to understand their predicaments. Steyn had been given a chance to make the right decision, but had not.

When he had first appeared in Nipton, dressed like any other wasteland citizen and calling himself "Mr. Fox" he had spoken privately to the mayor, not only revealing his true allegiances, but testing Steyn's as well. He offered a hefty reward to the mayor for his aid in trapping the NCR and the Powder Gangers and the man's eyes had lit up when he'd heard the amount of caps. That gleam had sealed his fate and now he was being dragged towards it.

The smell of burning rubber filled the air with a sickening odor. A breeze spiraled in around the buildings and caught the smoke, wafting it up into the night and mixing with it the smell of blood and death. He hoped that the outside world would stumble upon this macabre sculpture of justice soon, perhaps along with that smell it would also help to sicken their souls as well and underline what happened when you allowed such shame and wickedness to creep into your lives.

Steyn tried to grab hold of Vulpes' hand, a pleading sob bursting from him as he was dragged. The leader of the Frumentarii snarled and slapped it away while kicking the prone man in the back, Steyn's face slamming hard into the dry earth. Not only was the ex-mayor a greedy sleazebag but he was also a coward. Men like him made Vulpes ill. "Take care of him." He barked at his soldiers, "And quickly, I wish to leave this place as soon as possible."

The men nodded and told him that it would be taken care of. With that promise Vulpes turned, arms crossed behind his back, and marched over to the steps of the Nipton town hall where two men were crouched between more of his men. Much to his chagrin they were both powder gangers. He hated to see the two men who had won his little lottery be no more than common criminals, but the rest of the town's inhabitants hadn't been much better. The first was a black man he'd heard called Boxcars. What a foolish name. He was the second place winner. The first was a glasses-clad man called Swanick. "Gentlemen," he greeted, malice creeping deep into his tone, "it seems today is your lucky day. You've both won the greatest gift of all – your life. _Congratulations_."

Almost as soon as the words were finished he reached down and grabbed Boxcars off the steps and hurled him down onto the ground.

"Hey, man, what the fuck! I thought you said we won!" The man demanded.

Vulpes sneered. "You have won, but in your case you were granted a _second_ place ticket. You will leave here with your life, but you will also endure great pain before you're allowed to go. This pain shall be a reminder of what took place and may you never forget it." He swung his fit and slammed it into the man's face, causing him to spin and land on his back.

Boxcars groaned and rolled over onto all fours and when he lifted his face in an attempt to climb to his feet Vulpes saw the blood that ran from his nose, down across his mouth, and finally drip off his chin into the dirt. Before he had a chance to right himself Vulpes landed a kick to Boxcars' side, hearing another delightful issue of pain as his target crumpled at his feet. He grasped both hands behind Boxcars' back and placed his boot there and jerked; the snap as one of them dislocated echoed around them and the sound hung in the air like something tangent before dissolving into the wind again. To end the onslaught Vulpes gripped the man's arm and yanked him up again, pressing his foot against the man's leg at just the right angle and…

CRACK!

The powder ganger screeched in agony and Vulpes let him fall. "Take them both to the entrance of the town." He ordered his men. He watched as they were escorted (Boxcars, dragged) away from him. In the back of his mind he noted he could no longer hear the mayor screaming and realized that he had probably succumbed to the flames he'd been thrown into. His mouth curved into a cruel smile, thinking how ironic that even before death the man should get a taste of what it was going to be like in Hell.

-X-

The business in Nipton was through. Vulpes and his men had conducted one last sweep of the town and its surrounding area to ensure that they had not missed anyone and then prepared to leave. He left a small pack of legion guard dogs within the town hall for anyone who happened by so that they might get a small taste of the horror that the town had gone through before death. If that person or persons survived they would speak of the dangers of Nipton and how it had been torn asunder by the righteous army of Lord Caesar. Yet, as he was leaving the town hall for the last time he was surprised to see there was already a witness, and she was walking right down the street towards them.

Her boldness was admirable, especially surrounded by the pained whimpering of the dying men on the crosses to her left and right. She didn't even seem to notice them, or if she did she ignored them. He ordered his men to stay put as he walked down the steps towards her. She hadn't even bothered to arm herself. Before he could speak she opened her mouth, an almost conversational cadence issuing from her lips, "I will guess that you're not Nipton's welcoming committee, because if you are with the tourism department I can assure you that this isn't the way to get repeat customers." Her eyes flickered to the hanging men, finally acknowledging them.

Vulpes could not contain the deep chuckle that rumbled in his throat. "Oh, I would not concern myself with the fate of these degenerates. In fact it seems that Lady Fortuna has smiled upon us with your presence, for now you can return from whence you came and spread the word of the lessons that were taught here."

The woman pursed her lips in thought, "and what _lessons_ would those be?"

He went on to explain the debauchery that took place in the town of Nipton. It had been full of thieves, gamblers, and prostitutes. "They had been willing to sell out their own for a handful of caps," he explained, his voice full of admonishment as he lifted his hands to indicate the town. "Even as we dragged off their so called _loved ones_," he sneered at the term, "they did not fight us, but begged for their own lives. We did the world a favor by wiping out their sickness."

"Its seems that they got what they deserved then." She told him, her violet eyes moving from his head to his feet and back up again. She was studying him as he was studying her. "I admire the poetic quality of your justice. It has a certain… _purity_ to it."

"I appreciate your understanding of the events that took place here. Not many could enjoy the fine details of it." Vulpes replied. He did not allow his surprise at her acceptance show, but he would definitely remember it. "Remember, tell others what you've seen here. Vale." He turned away from her and threw up his arm to indicate to his men that they were moving out. As they walked out of town he did not look back, yet could feel the eyes of the mysterious witness upon him the entire time.

-X-

_Fortification Hill, Present_

_This_ was the woman that Caesar had invited here? Despite the rumors of her accomplishments Vulpes could see no evidence of them in her stature. She waltzed in without a care in the world and proceeded to not only insult the Legion's ways but also dare to order Caesar around like he was just another wasteland thug. The worst part was having to keep his mouth shut as Caesar took it all in stride, even _smiled_ at the little bitch like it was a game. By the end of the conversation he had even agreed to almost everything she had demanded. They shouldn't have had to give in to her wants, for they had the chip and even though they might not have known what was down there, or had this woman's knowledge of Mr. House himself they would have managed, or they could have gotten the information out of her. She was small and delicate in appearance; it wouldn't have taken long to force her to break under the interrogators methods.

Even as his thoughts drifted across possible torture methods Caesar was telling Gaius to escort their mouthy little guest to the bunker. Vulpes hoped she would get the job done and leave, or maybe Caesar was really just playing a game with her and once she had finished what he had asked of her she would be nailed up on her own cross or taken down to be made a slave, the thing she claimed to despise most of all.

The woman disappeared and Vulpes' thoughts were interrupted by Caesar's voice. "Vulpes, you seem upset?"

"I am not questioning your judgment, Lord Caesar, for I know that you do not have to explain every bit of your plan to us, but this woman, this _Courier_, does not seem to have any respect for us." This was a disappointment indeed, for when he had learned that the Courier was the same woman who had complimented him at Nipton he had thought she would more than understand about other Legion practices as well.

"In time I believe she will come around." Caesar confided.

"Why is she so important?"

Caesar thought for a moment, turning Vulpes' question over in his mind. "That is a conversation that is too complex for this time. Trust that this Courier will become very important to our endeavors and if it takes a little honey to draw her in then so be it."

"I see." Vulpes answered, his head bowed for an instant in respect. "If trust is what is required then trust is what I shall do. However," he added, "I will be keeping a close watch on her."

Caesar smiled knowingly, "I thought you might."

-X-

Even in the dead of night the Fort was full of life. Slaves bustled here and there, cooking, cleaning, and carrying their master's things. The soldiers themselves were also out and about, at least the ones that had night duties. She and her guard escort passed through a training area where two of the legionnaires were testing their fighting skills on practice dummies tacked up on wooden posts. Legion dogs roamed freely around the grounds and she noticed that not only did they seem to be taking up the position as guards as well, but many of the soldiers would stop to pay attention to them, much like pets. It was a strange sight in her eyes. Of course, not all of them held affection for the creatures, but the ones that did left an impression on her. She would have liked to think the Legion was nothing but an army of cold monsters, little more than fleshy robots, and something so human had washed away that thought like a flood clearing out a dam.

"Here is the bunker." Gaius informed as they rounded a small building. "I shall wait for you and take you back to Caesar when your mission is complete."

"Uhm, thank you for showing me the way." She told him. "I hope I can get this over and done with so you won't have to wait long."

Scarlet turned and entered the building. Upon entering she was greeted with three more soldiers. One of them was holding a bag full of her weapons and equipment. "Orders were to have these returned to you for the duration of your trip inside. They are to be handed back once you exit of course."

She enjoyed the weight of her things in her arms as they were handed to her and she smiled. "I understand."

They pointed her to the terminal where she was to place the chip. She stood beside it for a moment before inserting it. There was a hum as a door was unlocked somewhere and the metal doors on the floor opened up, revealing a stairway into the bunker below. _Here goes everything._ She thought heading down into the unknown. Passed the stairs was a small antechamber and she could already feel the air change that meant the place was full of radiation. With a curse she dug through the bag and found one last Rad-X and popped it into her mouth. She doubted it would last the entire trip but it was better than nothing and she had a couple of RadAways left that would clear up most of the damage upon exit. She'd just have to remember to administer it before she went back up to the top or they'd be confiscated once again.

Past the antechamber was another room, but this one seemed cleaner and held a large terminal much like the one in Mr. House's penthouse. His face adorned the screen, but also like the penthouse it was only a likeness and not a transmission. She walked over to the smaller computer terminal hanging on the wall beside a door and checked it. Apparently there would be robots, and lots of them down there. Another negative. She hated robots. When the door wouldn't open she mumbled and walked back over to the House-face terminal and pressed the button to engage conversation.

Seconds later House's voice came over the speakers. "I did not expect to see you here so soon, but apparently you have made it through to the bunker under the Legion's camp."

"You wanted me to come here?" She shouldn't have been surprised; she really shouldn't have.

"Of course. I knew you would have to sooner or later."

She mumbled some more. She really couldn't wait to get this shit over with so she could forget about this bastard. "What's down here anyway?" She might as well know what she'd be destroying.

Mr. House went into his explanation of the bunker and how there was a system that would awaken an army of securitrons ready to do his bidding and completely flush out the NCR and the Legion from the Mojave, thus cementing his leadership over the area.

_Oh yeah, fuck that shit._ Scarlet thought, but now she could see why Benny had wanted to come here. Too bad for him he hadn't been invited. Deep inside she felt like a child and imagined herself sticking her tongue out at him and pointing at him while laughing at his misfortune. It was the least she could do after everything he'd put her through.

"Yeah, yeah, great plan, House." She told him, impatience lining her voice. "Could you hurry up and open the door so I can get going. There's radiation down here and I don't have time to dawdle."

"Very well." House replied. As the door slid open he added, "I do hope you make the right choice. No doubt you've had others trying to lead you astray."

"I guess we'll just see how things go, won't we?" She smirked over her shoulder. He had admitted that he had no control over what was passed that door so it wasn't like he could send anything after her if he got pissed off. He said nothing more as she headed down the stairs into the metallic coldness.

-X-

"Goddamnit!" Scarlet cursed. Her back slammed against the wall as she spun back around the corner to shield herself from the protectron that was at the bottom of the stairs. The frigid metal stung the laser burns on her back and she let out a seething hiss. Trying to ignore the pain she begun to reload her weapon. She'd used all of the ammo for the plasma rifle she'd found as well as all the plasma and pulse grenades in her stock. The only gun in her arsenal at the moment that seemed to be doing any good was her favored .357 pistol and it was a pain to keep using because she was running out of ammo for it as well and the reloads were painstakingly slow. At least that's what her mind was telling her. Perhaps it was the impending doom that was clomping up towards her.

The worst thing wasn't even the weapon situation; it was her lack of medical supplies. She'd used a lot of her stash on the way to Cottonwood Cove due to her bad luck and once inside this radiated death trap she'd been bombarded constantly by robots, causing her to dip further and further into her bag. Now she was down to one last stimpak and she was afraid to use it in case she received a wound even worse than she had now. On top of that she could feel the radiation creeping further into her bones and it churned her stomach with sickness. She was glad that she had at least not eaten that morning or she might have been throwing up by now.

The protectron gave another one of its computerized warnings and she twisted around the corner and aimed for its head unit, "I don't think so, you big piece of scrap metal!" It took three shots at the angle she was at before it crashed down the stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom. Peering at her pip boy screen she saw that there were three more of them below. She reloaded again and hurried down the steps. She flung herself around the corner there and fired again, taking off that protectron's head in two shots. She enjoyed the way the metal tore from its body and went flying into the wall behind it. Score!

She skirted around the mass of metal pipes and equipment in the center of the room and dropped to one knee as she both avoided a laser blast but also shot up into the faceplate of another protectron. The glass smashed upon her bullet's impact allowing her second shot to smash its inner workings. Another clattering crash resounded. Two down in the room, one more to go and it would be cleared. She could hear it's metal feet clodding along and she hurriedly reloaded a few more rounds before it turned the corner, allowing her to easily dispatch it.

Robotic voices broke out behind her and she realized there was another room there she didn't notice and two more protectrons were coming toward her. Before she could move a laser struck her in the back and she fell forward, crying out in pain. She grasped a frag grenade and tossed it into the room. The explosion knocked one of them back, allowing her to take out the first one and reload before it made its journey towards her. The blast had torn chunks of metal from its body and she sneered. "Cakewalk." Aim. Fire. Gone.

She collapsed onto the floor and breathed a sigh of relief, sure that she was safe at least for the moment. Her stomach growled in protest and she was reminded that she hadn't eaten. In addition her head was really pounding now from the adrenaline and lack of food. Her blood sugar was dropping rapidly and she cursed. One box of sugar bombs lay in the bottom of her bag and she thanked whatever divinity was watching out for her and popped a few handfuls in her mouth before shoving it back inside. She didn't have time for the whole thing, but maybe this would hold her until she was finished with this hellhole.

-X-

Three of the four doors led to generator rooms. The last one led up a stairway passed a turret. She slapped her hand back on the button and the door slid shut. She didn't want to go that way. If she was considering turning on the army of securitrons, maybe, but she was just going to destroy the generators for Caesar and be done with it, right? She bit her lip and thought about this some more. Despite her hatred for robots she knew having something like that under her belt would grant her all kinds of security and control in her life. That was priceless. _But that doesn't matter if you die getting there, does it!_ Her rational side screamed.

She had to decide. Now. Once she had blown the generators and left she couldn't return and change her mind. If she was going to activate House's computer she'd have one chance. Her head dropped into her hands. After a moment of considering her options she leaned back and banged her head on the wall a few times, screaming out in frustration. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

-X-

Radiation exploded out from the broken generators and warning klaxon started up all through the bunker. Scarlet scurried from the last generator room and hauled ass back to the stairs that led upward. She knew that she couldn't stop now. Her Rad-X had worn out a long time ago and with the radiation levels rising as steadily as they were if she remained here any longer she'd be overcome and die down here. She was determined not to die before she saw that look on Caesar's face when she stumbled out waving victory in his face. "_So you're army couldn't do it, Caesar?" _ She could hear herself saying, "_amazing what a woman could do when men fail!"_ She chuckled weakly as she staggered across the room she'd battled two protectron and a turret in. In the darkness the light shining through the door at the other end seemed like the door to heaven.

She tripped over one of the protectron's arms and went sprawling on the ground. For a ten count her body didn't move. Scarlet was sure she was done for, every muscle aching, head exploding with agony, nerves tingling. As her eyes slipped closed she saw _his_ face again, those sneering lips and narrow eyes full of intelligence… and malice. Vulpes Inculta. The man she'd came all the way to learn more about. The man who had destroyed a town in the name justice. The man who had looked at her like she'd break just walking down the stairs to this bunker when Caesar had asked her to do it. Fuck shoving surviving this place in Caesar's face, at least he'd asked her to do it (implying he had some kind of faith in her abilities); she wanted to see Vulpes' expression, and all those other soldiers, too.

Screw dying today.

Her eyes snapped open and she pushed herself to her knees, and then hauled herself to her feet. On her arm her pip-boy gave a warning beep, letting her know her radiation level had raised above safe levels and she now had radiation sickness. Ignoring it she pressed on. Not even a minute later she was climbing the stairs up to the terminal room where she'd talked to House. What she didn't expect was the barrage of lasers from a turret in that room. The pain clouded her eyes as she was thrown forward through the doorway into the small antechamber. Fingers felt around on the ground until she found a jagged piece of debris and with a throw she hit the control panel beside the door, closing it was a clang of finality.

Then everything was quiet.

A giggle burst from her mouth as she lay there staring at the ceiling. She was alive! Hot damn, she was alive. It was hell pushing herself back up into a sitting position, but once she was leaned against the wall she felt a little better. She found the last stimpak and the radaway immediately and began the radaway drip before jamming the stimpak into her leg. The warm wash of healing liquid rushed through her veins. It wasn't enough to fully heal her, but it would be enough for her to walk out of here without looking like she was a weakling. Once the radaway was finished she jerked the needle from her arm and tossed it across the room and got to her feet. Grabbing her bag she headed for the stairs that led back up to where the three legion soldiers were waiting. "See you later, old friends." She told her guns.

-X-

"It's done, Caesar."

The Legion's leader looked pleased, even downright celebratory. "Excellent job." He told her. "And now that you've done this for me I shall repay you by allow you to decide the fate of the man who left you for dead."

Scarlet turned her head to look at Benny. Decide his fate? "What do you mean?"

"This man snuck into our fort and impersonated a member of my legion. He is not leaving here alive. I feel that after everything he has done to you, and what you've done for us it is only right that perhaps I let you decide the method of his death."

Her heart fell and her throat was suddenly dry. She hated him, but she didn't know if she could be responsible for his _death_. She wasn't that kind of person.

"The first option is crucifixion. It is obviously the most painful and torturous. The second method is a battle between yourself and him in our arena. The last is merely your choice to outright kill him where he sits."

She swallowed hard and looked at him again. His eyes were full of fear, and instead of reveling in it this time she felt overwhelmed. As much as she might like to let him go and let everything be done with she had a feeling that wasn't an option. Not only would she lose points with the Legion (perhaps even make them her enemy), but they were so pissed at Benny they'd just kill him anyway and then she wouldn't even get a say. Crucifying him wasn't a thought. He wasn't a bad enough person to deserve that. Yeah, he'd shot her in the head, but (_"I'm not a fink, I look people in the eye when I kill them…"_) there was something a little honorable about the chairman.

She took a breath and then spoke to Caesar. "I think I would like to just kill him, but I want to talk to him first. I want some answers about what happened."

"If that is your wish." Caesar said.

Scarlet excused herself and walked over to the man and knelt in front of him. She would have to be careful with what she did as to not give the legion the wrong impression. Her hand lifted to stroke the side of his face with her knuckles. "Well, hello, Benny." She greeted.

"Come on, doll, you gotta help me." He pleaded.

"How ironic of you." She spat.

"I'm sorry, okay, but I told you why I did what I did." He reminded her.

"Yeah, right before you sicked your guards on me, you prick."

"I really am sorry. I really thought you were there to kill me. I was wrong, wasn't I? You really did want to help me. I fucked up."

"You have no idea how much." She admitted, her voice softening a little. "I'm sure you heard I'm supposed to kill you. I don't really want to do it, but its this or crucifixion and as much as I hate you right now I can't…" She closed her eyes tightly. "I can't do that."

"Thanks, I guess." The life was gone from his voice. It was apparent he was beginning to accept his fate. He'd backed himself into a corner and this time he wasn't getting out of it.

"Is there any way you would prefer to go?"

"As an old man, in bed, with lots of beautiful women." The corner of his mouth twitched up. He was trying to joke, but it didn't last long before he fell into solemnity again. "Whatever it is just make it quick. I don't want it to hurt."

"I understand." She said. She then rose to her feet and trying to sound as cold as possible she regarded Caesar again. "I want to kill him with the gun he shot me with. Did you find any weapons on him?"

"We did find a gun." Caesar said slowly. It was obvious he was a little hesitant at letting her have a gun in such close proximity.

"All I need is one bullet." She answered. "I'm a good shot."

He nodded at Vulpes and the Frumentarius walked over to that side of the tent and opened a box. Inside it were the things that had been taken from Benny. She saw that gun, the one that had gleamed in the moonlight the night she thought she was going to die. Vulpes removed all the bullets but one and came and laid it in her hands. His eyes caught hers before he completely let go and she understood that look perfectly. He'd be making sure she would use it as she said. She smirked at him and took the pistol and turned.

When Vulpes returned to his place beside Caesar she knelt next to Benny again, her hand grabbing the back of his head and twisting his hair in her fingers. It was soft and felt like silk. "I'm sorry." She whispered in his ear.

"Her name's Maria." Benny stammered. Somehow Scarlet knew he was talking about the gun.

"Maria." She repeated. "All right. You know, Benny, in another life we might have been friends." As she pulled back she let her lips brush against his just once. The view of him was shielded by her body so she knew the men behind her would not know what she had done. The look of shock on Benny's face took only moments to melt into softness.

"Here's to another life then, dollface." He told her. Tears shimmered in his eyes. She'd never seen a man cry before, and she always thought she'd find it funny, but now that she was seeing it she found nothing comical about it. It was breaking her heart.

She raised her hand, the gun pointing directly at his forehead. For an instant she closed her eyes. Before her finger pulled the trigger the stopped and opened them again. "You know, this man told me once that you look someone in the eyes when you shot them. It's a man I'll always remember."

The tears spilled across his cheeks.

She fired.

It took everything she had not to turn away from his falling body, the expression in his now-dead eyes. She had killed many other people since her journey in the Mojave. This was the first time it had ever felt like murder. She bit her lip hard to keep herself from crying and gripped the gun until her knuckles turned white to keep it from shaking. Moments passed before she was able to lower it and turn to face Caesar and his Praetorian guards. By then the cold cruelty had returned to her eyes.

"How does it feel to finally have revenge?" Caesar inquired.

"Like a million caps." What she didn't add was that those million caps were smeared with blood and she could never spend any of them, not just because they were figurative, but also because if she did she would probably lose her soul.

* * *

Woof that last scene was hard to write, I almost cried! Even though he kind of was a little bit of an ass I liked Benny so killing him makes me sad. It was necessary however, and it will be a very important event in Scarlet's life. This chapter was much longer than I originally intended but I had what needed to happen at the beginning and the end in my head and I didn't want to split the chapter, so apologies if its a little much. R&R!

Next Chapter: Scarlet finally gets to rest for the first time since that morning and she and Vulpes have a conversation. Also Caesar asks another mission of her, and this time its to kill Mr. House. The catch is she won't be going alone. (If I can fit everything in this next chapter it shall have all of that!)

Until next time.


	3. Golden Touch

Tambelina: Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying it. I was a little unsure about writing about the legion at first, but I'm glad I did. Here's another chapter for you!

Cennex: Thanks! Its going to be a hard job but I'm going to try my best. And I think that before it truly hits her just how far the rabbit hole she's gone its going to be impossible to climb back out. (BTW, I absolutely love your two stories. The dynamic between Vulpes and the Courier is excellent!)

Teufelszeug: I was still getting the hang of Scarlet in the first chapter. I'm hoping to slowly reveal more and more of her personality as the story continues. She's not quite made her decision about the Legion and its going to take her a long while to truly side with them. I've always believed a good story has to have a certain character development and that will be part of hers. Her reasoning for doing so will kind of creep up on her and most likely be something that not even she realizes about herself. In addition to being a legion story its also about Scarlet's struggle with herself and what she really wants out of life. I'm glad you liked the Nipton part. It was so fun to write, especially since most of it was from Vulpes' perspective.

Again, more thanks for faves and alerts and the like!

**

* * *

Chapter III**

**Golden Touch**

Even the mightiest king required sleep, and Caesar was no different. After the excitement of the day he excused himself so that he may turn in. Scarlet bade him good night with no betrayal to the emotional maelstrom that spun cyclonic within her skull. Benny's body had been removed from the tent and she didn't want to know what they did with it. The thought of him being tossed on some garbage pile came to mind, which upset her further. But Benny was dead and she was still alive, so it was time to start thinking of herself again. As Caesar and a few of his guards began to disappear she felt a crashing sense of confusion at what she was supposed to do now. She had come so far and was exhausted. Did they expect her to leave?

Her thoughts ran through a few possibilities, but before she could make her own decision on what they intended for her to do she heard a low quiet voice behind her. "Caesar wishes to speak with you in the morning." It was Vulpes. She turned to regard him fully now. "I will take you to your sleeping quarters for tonight."

"Oh." So they wanted her to stay, and apparently Caesar wasn't finished with her. It shouldn't have been a surprise because he seemed so adamant to get her among his ranks, or at least to get her to serve him. "All right."

As they walked she became more and more aware that they were alone together. Until this moment he had been with his men, or in Caesar's presence. She had imagined what she would say to him if she ever got him alone like this, how she would compliment his work at Nipton some more and tell him of her further investigations of the place, or how impressed she was with his demeanor and elegance. All of that fluttered from her mind like a flock of startled birds. Walking beside him was like walking next to a dense bubble radiating power. His presence was so tangible it took up more space than his body did. That alone was frightening… but even more intriguing.

She hated herself for being so enamored with this stranger, especially with his loyalties. He was cruel and made it obvious his contempt for her, a profligate, a _woman_. She tried to tell herself he was really some kind of sorcerer who had bewitched her the second her eyes had fallen on him in Nipton. That thought made her feel better for a few moments until she reminded herself that she didn't believe in sorcery.

The pair reached a decently sized tent and he held the flap open for her to enter. She couldn't tell if he was actually trying to be chivalrous to her, or if he just didn't like the idea of her getting behind him. She immediately dismissed both ideas, knowing full well any of the legion would not have been nice to someone like her and the thought that he might have been nervous around her was ridiculous. He was too confident a man to be afraid. She didn't blame him, for she knew that even if she could get the jump on him he would probably still defeat her.

_God, what am I doing here?_ She thought to herself as she ducked through into the surprising warmth of the shelter. Another part of her mind told her that it had nothing to do with God because God had been dead for a long time.

It was nothing like Caesar's tent, of course, but it seemed quaint, almost homey. There was an old camping lantern hanging in the left corner and Vulpes moved passed her to turn the knob onto a low setting, bathing the space in a warm yellow light. Beside him and directly in front of her was a makeshift desk covered in scattered papers and diagrams. Along the back was a line of unlit candles that had appeared to have already had many uses and in the right hand corner sat a stack of thick books. Underneath the desk was a small safe, closed.

In the right hand corner was a small bed, two pillows stacked neatly on top of each other and a folded blanket on top of them. At the end of the bed sat a dented, but polished and gleaming footlocker. Everything within the tent was so well organized, well kempt. Despite her growing unease she suddenly felt a little more comfortable, the order around her calming her racing mind.

Vulpes pointed to a bedroll that had already been laid out across the left side of the tent. "This is where you'll sleep. We do not have guest accommodations so you will be sharing for the night."

"Oh." Fuck, was that all she could say was oh? She was a little nervous about having to share her sleeping space with someone else, but in the back of her mind she hadn't really expected her own private suite. "Who will I be sharing with? Whose tent is this?"

That sneer was back on his face and he crossed his arms across his chest before answering, "Mine."

-X-

Scarlet didn't think she had ever been more uncomfortable in her life. Maybe it would have been easier to sleep if Vulpes had gone to bed, too, but he was at his desk, face illuminated in the flickering light of his candles as he worked on some kind of project. At first she lay awake, eyes half open as she watched him, studied the way the candlelight danced across his features and made each sharp angle seem that much more sharp and dangerous. If he noticed her watching him she could not tell, for his hand moved across the papers like a graceful ballet between his slender fingers and the pencil that hung there between them. He only paused a few times, and only briefly so that he might go back through and check a few things. He was meticulous.

Finally she begun to feel that darkening pressure of sleep overtaking her and she let her eyelids close, hoping that she would be dreaming soon, but that was too much to ask for apparently because every time she tried to get comfortable some part of her body would begin to argue. At first it was her side, because it didn't like the hard ground tonight, and then it was her neck, which couldn't find a comfortable position on the small pillow beneath her head. Lastly it was her back. When she finally did get into a position that didn't make her muscles ache it awakened the fire in the laser wounds that were still present. She had almost forgotten about them because of everything that happened afterward.

She must have been moving around too much, or making some kind of noise because she heard the pencil drop onto the desk's surface and the creak of the old chair Vulpes was sitting in as he turned towards her. "Is there something troubling you?" There was a touch of impatience and irritation wrapped in his voice.

"No." She said quickly, not even opening her eyes. "I'm all right. Sorry if I disturbed you."

For a few seconds she thought that would be it and then he was speaking again, even more annoyance written in his tone, "It would benefit both of us if you would tell the truth. I cannot work with you thrashing around over there, and the sooner I get this done the sooner I myself can go to sleep. Since both of us have a very long day tomorrow I would advise you come clean about any problems you may be having. So I will ask you again: Is. There. Something. Troubling. You?"

Her mouth twitched. She had been trying very hard to pretend like she was some wasteland badass with no real kind of weakness, but that was not going to work with this man. _Maybe he is some kind of sorcerer._ "To be honest," she found herself saying, "when I was in the bunker I encountered a small army of protectrons that insisted upon shooting me up. Bullet wounds I don't mind. They're more of a throbbing pain, but this stinging from the laser burns are driving me insane, and my entire body is too sore to get comfortable. If it is bothering you that much I will lie awake and keep myself from moving so you can finish."

His chest rose and then fell in a deep sigh. He muttered something about _idiot profligates._ "And the reason you did not inform anyone of your injuries?"

"It didn't seem that bad at the time."

More muttering. This time she believed it was something about her being a stupid woman. She would have argued with him but for that moment in time she was actually agreeing. Hiding the extent of her injuries probably had been idiotic. He got to his feet and walked over to his footlocker and proceeded to dig around until he stood up with a glass jar in his hand. "Sit." He motioned to the chair.

She didn't move, unsure of what he was doing.

"Get up!" He barked.

She scrambled to her feet and he told her to sit so that her back was not against the chair. She followed his orders, mostly because she didn't know what else to do. Until, that was, he told her to take her shirt off. "Hell no." She scowled.

He rubbed one of his temples. "Then raise the back of it. I do not have x-rays for eyes."

Scarlet huffed and did so, leaning forward just a bit. A hiss escaped her lips as her skin stretched, igniting the painful burns again.

He sighed again, this time with exasperation. "Many of these are severe. You should have said something about them. Any longer and they would have probably become infected." Her back was red and in some places the skin had almost been seared off from the heat of the blasts. How she could not feel it was beyond his comprehension. The only thing that made sense was that many of her nerves might have been destroyed or injured as well.

"I've had worse."

"Then it is truly a surprise that you have survived as long as you have if this is how you take care of yourself." He chided.

"Why do you care? I'm just another unwashed cretin." She snapped, tired of the way he was treating her like a foolish little child.

"Yes, but you're an unwashed cretin that Lord Caesar has taken an interest in, and you cannot serve him and the Legion if you are too injured to do anything of use."

Ah, so that was it. He wasn't doing this because he actually cared, but because she was Caesar's little pet project. Being that he was one of Caesar's top officials he had probably been ordered to keep an eye on her. She wondered how pissed he was that he had to baby-sit her. She would have smiled, but at that moment he chose to take the contents of the jar in his hand and begin smoothing it over her wounds. It felt like some sort of a paste and gave her a sensation of both warmth and cooling all at the same time. In some spots it hurt a little as his fingers grazed over some of the more open flesh, but for the most part the entire process was soothing. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the relief that was spreading through her.

When he was finished he replaced the cap and took it back to his footlocker. "Let it dry before letting anything touch it or you'll wipe it off and it won't do any good." He warned. "Now go back to bed."

She rose carefully from the chair and started back to the bedroll before he interrupted her. "No, there." He pointed at his own bed.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable taking your bed from you." She argued.

"I would rather be displaced one night than get no sleep because you're tossing around." He seemed more than a little miffed at this decision, but she guessed he was right. Neither one of them would get much sleep otherwise and it would be her fault.

She would have thanked him for fixing her up, except for the knowledge that it was only a necessary component of her ability to serve the Legion so she didn't bother. Instead she focused on sleep again and this time it came. She floated off into slumber with the scent of the mysterious Frumentarius filling her senses.

-X-

A rough hand on her shoulder jarred Scarlet from a dream she'd been having. As she slipped back into consciousness the dream receded into the mist and she couldn't remember what it was about. Her eyes fluttered a few times before she rolled over and looked up into the solemn face of Vulpes Inculta. "Get up." He said stiffly. "It is morning and we are expected in Caesar's presence."

Scarlet yawned and stretched, noting how the muscles in her back didn't hurt as bad and the stinging bite of those lasers burns were considerably lessened. Whatever that stuff Vulpes had used on them the night before was some good damn stuff. "How long do I have?" She inquired, hoping there would be time for breakfast.

"Ten minutes. I would advise you not keep him waiting."

Damn. Well there would always be time to eat later. "I'll hurry then."

It didn't take her long at all to get ready. She splashed her face with some water and smoothed her clothes out to make them more presentable, but it wasn't like she was going to one of the casinos or something. The two of them arrived minutes before they were expected and Caesar was just finishing his morning meeting with some very important looking soldiers. As they passed her by she noted how a few of them had disgusted scowls on their faces at her presence. She held back the urge to snarl at them, realizing she was still in foreign territory and what worked in the rest of the wasteland would not get by here.

"Good morning, Caesar." She said as she entered, "you wanted to talk to me?"

"I did, indeed. You've already done the Legion a great service, but I am wondering if you have made a decision about us yet to continue on aiding us."

"I will be completely honest that I do not know enough about you or your people yet. As I said last night it will take time before I am ready to throw everything in on your side. It is not necessarily against you, mind you, it is I am not one to take sides as a rule, so being asked to join something as powerful as the Legion is a little overwhelming." It wasn't really a lie. Yeah, she was more than a little put off by some of their beliefs, but the biggest problem was the same one she had when the NCR had come knocking at her door trying to get her to do missions for them as well. She just didn't like to be tied down. Allying herself with some kind of faction was like becoming a prisoner. That idea didn't sit well with her. "I am however willing to listen to whatever you might have planned as the next step."

True she hadn't made up mind up about the Legion yet, but thus far their goals had happened to coincide with what she needed. If that continued then she might consider a more long-term agreement with Caesar. It always helped to have some kind of back up. Yet if their plans began to fork in different directions she'd disappear and if that was one thing she was good at it was making herself scarce. That was how she'd gotten to the Mojave in the first place.

Caesar informed her of the next phase of his plan. Since she had access to the Lucky 38 he wanted her to enter and find Mr. House. After she found him she was to end his life, therefore permanently stopping his reign of control over the strip and any chance of him becoming a threat to the possession of the Mojave later.

She crossed her arms across her breasts as her brows scrunched up in thought. "Given that House hasn't revoked my access because of the stunt I pulled last night I believe I'd be up for that. He's been alive for way too long as it is, so I don't mind playing grim reaper."

"Good, good." Caesar almost purred.

"Is there anything else you would like me to do for you?"

"No, I require nothing more of you right now, however I do need to inform you that you will not be going into the 38 alone."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "I won't?"

Caesar's eyes drifted to the man at his side. "Vulpes will be accompanying you. Once House has been dispatched I would like anything that might be of use for the Legion to be brought to us. There is nobody better to ensure this is done most swiftly and efficiently. Will this be a problem?"

"No." Scarlet admitted. "But I do have a question. Its not necessarily about the mission though."

"What is your question?"

"I want you to tell me about Vulpes." She said. "I mean, if I'm to be working with him I should at least know a little bit about him." Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Vulpes' head turn to look her direction, but his face revealed nothing of how he felt about her question.

Caesar looked extremely amused at her request, and perhaps it was for that reason that he agreed and started to tell her about the man she'd been dying to learn more about. "Vulpes was brought into the Legion at a very young age. He rose swiftly through our ranks, showing a great deal of promise. He easily made the rank of Decanus."

Scarlet allowed her eyes to drift to Vulpes as Caesar talked. She didn't quite know what kind of equivalent rank a Decanus was, but it sounded important.

"During a battle he led his men through a hole that had opened up in the enemy ranks and secured victory. His superior wanted to have him crucified for disobedience, since the act that he had committed had been against what he was suppose to be doing. I, on the other hand, saw this as something promising and had him transferred to the Frumentarii, where he remains today."

Scarlet tried to keep the smirk from melting onto her face, but failed. The image of a slightly rebellious Vulpes Inculta rushing into battle and doing whatever it took to win despite any possible repercussions to his own welfare was something so curious. "What are the Frumentarii?"

"They are the Legion's brightest and most resourceful soldiers, in charge of military intelligence. They have the ability to blend into enemy society and infiltrate to the deepest depths."

"Explaining his presence at the Strip." She said.

Caesar nodded. "Is there anything else you wish to know about him?"

"No, that's all for now."

"Then you are dismissed. I look forward to hearing about Mr. House's _unfortunate_ demise."

* * *

This chapter was a little more talk and a little less action. In a way I wish I had written that one scene in the tent from Vulpes point of view more to underline the full reasoning for him doing that he did. If it bothers me too much I might end up rewriting this chapter, but for now I will leave it as it now. R&R!

**Next Chapter: Who Wants to Live Forever **Vulpes and Scarlet arrive at the strip and face off against robotic enemies within the Lucky 38. Its time for Mr. House to cash out. (Haha, casino humor... god, I'm lame.)

Vale!


	4. Who Wants to Live Forever

**Chapter IV**

**Who Wants to Live Forever**

They had returned to where this had all begun, or rather where it had all begun for Scarlet. Since she didn't really trust Mr. House she had been forced to find a decent place to stash the loot she had accumulated throughout her adventures across the Mojave. She supposed that she could sell most of it, but deep inside she was a packrat and tended to hang onto a numerous amount of objects "just in case." Nipton had provided the ideal hiding spot due to the stigma that surrounded the place since Vulpes had destroyed it. No one came near it anymore, least of all the NCR, who she believed didn't want to ruin morale any more than it already was by throwing a bunch of their soldiers into a lost town just to see what happened.

Excusing herself she ducked inside the main house she used for storage. It was across from a fallen tree and on the right side of the street looking towards the town hall. She hurriedly collected every plasma and pulse grenade she'd ever found and dumped them into her bag, happy that they would finally be used. As a rule she tried to ignore any kind of robots, but she knew that would be easier said then done considering what they were about to do and she didn't want a repeat of the bunker incident and planned to go armed to the teeth with the appropriate measures. By the time she emerged Vulpes had already transformed into just another wastelander, changing out of his Legion uniform into some kind of retrofitted leather armor.

As she swung her bag over her shoulder he regarded her with something close to curiosity; it was the most friendly she thought she'd ever seen him – if you could even call that friendly. "I am surprised you would use a place like this as storage. It does not frighten you?" She believed he was baiting her, seeing what she'd say, but it would take more than that to get under her skin.

"Why would I be afraid of this place?" She asked him, making sure her face was blank of any kind of emotion. She wanted to give the impression that it was the stupidest question ever and a silly thought.

"Not many would be able to return to the site of such a massacre."

"Well, I've never been one of the _many_ and the last time I checked this was just a ghost town. Wasn't it even you that told me I had nothing to worry about, that I would not end up like these men?" She waved one hand towards the now decayed and shriveled bodies of the crucified. "Unless you're the kind of man that doesn't keep his word I would say that fear would be ignorant on my part. And regardless of your promises or not I've never been one to be afraid either, for fear is the mindkiller, and does nothing by cloud judgment and lead to ruin."

Vulpes made a thoughtful noise before turning away from her and striding towards the back exit that opened to the road leading to Novac. "Yes, you did seem quite comfortable as you picked your way through the town. Being alone in that kind of environment makes most skittish, but you seemed untouched with your surroundings."

"Wait what?"

With his back to her she could not see the small curve of his lips as he hit his mark. _Ah, there it is, the unease. She had no idea she was being watched that day_. "After we left I sent my men on their way but I stayed, up there," he pointed absently, still remembering the place he'd crouched with a pair of binoculars as he had followed her movements. "I admit, after our conversation I was a little curious as to what you were going to do."

"You wanted to see if I'd put them out of their misery in other words." Scarlet said dully. Part of her stomach was twisting into a sick, sour feeling. How could she have not known she was being watched? If he had been some kind of raider sniper or the like he could have picked her off and she would have been just another dead body in this town. Now she felt like an idiot as she trailed behind him, because she'd been so intent on putting up a professional, almost veteran front, and he'd had her in his sights since day one. Crafty bastard. Now she saw why he'd been named after the fox.

"Why didn't you?" Vulpes slowed his pace to allow her to catch up to him, matching hers as they came side to side.

"Th-that's personal." She stammered. She didn't have time, nor did she feel like getting into some kind of psychological expedition for the sake of his curiosity. It was none of his business why she did or did not do things. "But if you really want some kind of answer they were all just powder gangers, just a bunch of thieves and scum."

"If they had been anyone else?" He inquired, his smooth voice almost an inquisitive purr.

"Who else would have been up there?" Scarlet was confused now. She really wanted him to stop playing with her head, because if he didn't it was going to be a long trip to New Vegas. "Are you asking me if I would have pulled a townsperson off or something? From what I've heard – and read – Nipton was a town made up of the lower than low. And yeah," she turned her head to look at him, "I read the mayor's journal entry about the deal he'd made with you and how he'd planned to get even more caps out of the Legion at a later date. He'd fucked over a lot of people in the name of greed and from the sound of his fellow citizens none of them seemed much better. I still stand by what I said that day. They fucking deserved this."

Vulpes said nothing more on the issue and Scarlet was thankful for the quiet. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. She didn't want to play his mind games. She just wanted to get back to Vegas and take care of House and maybe by the time all of that was over she'd know what she would want to do.

-X-

The Strip looked exactly the same way it did when she had left for Cottonwood Cove. As she passed through the gates she was overcome by the feeling that it had been another lifetime ago instead of just a few days. A part of her remained ever wary of their surroundings despite Vulpes' disguise. The presence of the NCR soldiers wandering about the place brought a jagged guilt crashing to the surface of her psyche. Or maybe it wasn't guilt so much of a strengthened awareness. By herself, without ulterior motive, she had no reason to worry about the NCR, but walking next to a Legion soldier, on their way to destroy a man that was over two hundred years old and was a pivotal part in the goings-on of the Strip she had a gut-wrenching fear that they'd suddenly all turn on her, point at the betrayer and attack.

Of course, none of that happened, and the two walked casually up the steps of the Lucky 38 and towards the entrance. "Something's wrong." She noted as they arrived at the top. "Victor, one of House's robots, is usually stationed in front of the building to greet me. He's gone."

"House isn't foolish." Vulpes said. "He has realized by now that you are most likely his enemy."

"It was foolish for him to have counted me as an ally." She said, more to herself than to him.

"Once we enter this building we do not leave until House is dead."

Scarlet nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

-X-

Ting! BOOM!

The plasma grenade decimated the closest securitron with a force that Scarlet was shocked didn't completely atomize the robot. She didn't use plasma weapons very often, not only because she wasn't a big fan of the higher tech stuff, but also because they were so hard to come by. It was a shame really because there was a type of joy in watching the annihilation such things caused. Frags had nothing on these little balls of destruction. "Ha! You big bucket of bolts!" She shouted at the collapsed heap of junk and had to duck her head back behind the half-wall again to avoid the shot from the other securitron. It had been partially damaged by the blast and was missing part of its side. Unfortunately for her it was only a cosmetic wound because it seemed to be working properly enough to attack them.

Her eyes flickered over to the other wall where Vulpes had been crouched and found him gone. Confusion lit her mind until she saw a flash on the other side of the room moving through the dim casino floor. He had circled behind the robot and was now coming up for an attack, the ripper that he used as a weapon in his hand. Scarlet leapt to her feet and launched herself over the wall, providing a distraction so that the securitron would concentrate its attention on her. "Your mama was a toaster!" She insulted, knowing these robots didn't have personalities, much less feelings, but it sure made her feel better to say things like that.

The securitron fired a few laser blasts at her, but that was all it had time for. Vulpes jammed the ripper through the hole she'd made in its side and tore through the gears. Its lights flickered and dimmed and then went completely off. He shoved it over onto the ground with a look of disgust and strode over to meet her at the elevator. She touched the control panel and for once it allowed her to choose her floor without the aid of Victor and she pushed the Penthouse option.

"Your mother was a toaster?" Vulpes inquired as the doors closed and the elevator jerked into its upwards journey.

"How do we know it wasn't?" She replied. There was always something about death and carnage, especially the possibility of impending doom on her own life that brought out the worst – or perhaps the best – in her sense of humor.

Vulpes didn't have time to answer as the doors slid open once more and the pair were greeted by not one, not two, but a small horde or angry securitrons. _Oh we are so fucked._ Scarlet ducked under a laser blast but another caught her in the arm. She cursed and lobbed a grenade at the group and was sorely disappointed when "Jane's" protective shield soaked up most of the damage. "Goddamnit." She leapt from the elevator and rushed towards the hanging curtain that separated the entryway to the room that held Mr. House's terminal. "This way!"

This room was less frightening. There was only one securitron in there at the moment and it turned towards them, giving a robotic warning that Scarlet ignored. She spotted the smaller terminal under the stairs catty-cornered of their position and pointed. Vulpes charged down the stairs and thrust the ripper into the overgrown tin can, shouting at her to throw him a grenade. She fumbled with one and tossed it down to him. As soon as it met his hands he shoved it into the hole he'd created and got out of the way. It exploded into bits.

_Nice._

"We don't have all day." He snapped up at her, pulling her from her impressed reverie. Behind her she heard the other securitrons rolling their way and she headed down the stairs to meet him. They took position under the stairs next to the terminal. Scarlet accessed the options and read through them. One of them seemed to open a hidden doorway to the right of the terminal but Vulpes stopped her before she chose it. "We don't know what's behind that wall." He told her. And he was right. She could have opened a doorway to their deaths all she knew, unleashing another small army of securitrons upon them. They still had a chance to take the ones that were after them now but if they added anymore to the mix they would be in trouble.

"Okay. We take out the rest of them first then." She nodded, reaching into her bag and shoving a plasma pistol into his hands. At first she thought he'd argue because most of the Legions seemed to have a problem with technology like that, but he showed no sign of liking or disliking it and had enough time to check the ammo before the securitrons came rolling in towards them.

The spot under the stairs was a good defensive area, and protected them from many of the laser blasts, but that wouldn't last long once the robots got closer to them. Realizing this Vulpes made a decision. "I'll distract them before they can get any further. When they've turned to follow me you attack and start taking them down."

She nodded. Part of her wanted to tell him to be careful, but it would have been an insult to him probably. He jumped out from behind their cover and ran forward, dodging attacks and skirting around the robots, forcing them to have to turn to continue their attempted assault on him. Scarlet pulled a pin out of another grenade and rolled it across the floor, catching the last two in the blast radius. There was no time to celebrate however, because there were still more of them to take care of, so she followed his path.

Halfway across the floor she heard the rattle of a wheel and looked up to the balcony just in time to see another securitron take aim at her. The laser blast hit her in the shoulder, and between the sudden pain and her forward momentum she was thrown against the large computer station. She ducked and avoided another that hit the terminal behind her, causing the panel to erupt in flames. Without waiting for it to take another shot she rolled over against the wall beneath it, knowing that it would have to come around and probably down the stairs to get a good angle at her. Digging through her bag she found a handful of mines she'd been saving and tossed them strategically along the stairs. If it came down at her it would have to roll over them and—

Her lips quirked into a wicked grin. _Take that._

Her victorious joy was short lived as she saw Vulpes appear through the curtain up top again and to avoid running into the securitron she was trying to trap he turned onto the stairs. "MINES!" She screeched, barely having enough time to warn him, but he leaped over them and landed on the floor below.

The two of them scrambled back under their haven beneath the stairs and only looked out when they heard the mines exploding, one after the other. When she dared peek she noticed that they'd seemed to pile in like idiots and all get caught in the domino-effected blasts. Only one seemed undamaged (Jane), but she was stuck on her fallen fellow robots and Vulpes wasted no time firing a few shots into her.

"I believe that takes care of this area." He announced.

Scarlet was relieved. "Good, lets get going then."

Finally she opened the doorway into a back passage. There were only two securitrons here, but between Scarlet's grenades and Vulpes' surprisingly good marksmanship they made short work of them and continued on to Mr. House's chamber.

-X-

Mr. House had to have been a ghoul, or some other kind of creature, or at least that's what she had always thought. Looking upon the glass-domed structure that contained Mr. House's shriveled body told her she was not only wrong, but understood very little about how long the human body could endure in the right settings. "My god." She whispered. "This is…"

Madness?

She wasn't quite sure what it was she was looking at, or how to even feel about it. She was aware than many people feared death and would go to great lengths to make themselves immortal. Over her lifetime she'd seen so many different and unique attempts at prolonging life, but never had she seen something so elaborate. "I don't know how anyone can live this way. Trapped in a metal can."

"It is unnatural." Vulpes agreed. He would have rather died than live in such a pathetic state. Why House believed he had some kind of miracle of science was beyond him. It wasn't just because he was Legion and they viewed such things in a negative light, it was also because men weren't meant to be frozen in time.

What was it that Scarlet had said earlier? Fear was the mindkiller. That was perhaps true here, for House missed one important part of his attempt to continue living. Surviving in a glass tube was not living, it was merely just hanging on.

"You don't understand what you are doing!" Mr. House was angry. "How dare you do this to me."

"Really?" Scarlet was sneering now, one hand on a hip. "I could say the same thing to you, you bastard." She pushed up the bandanna she wore around her head and for the first time ever Vulpes saw the scar that adorned her head. "How dare you do this to _me_."

"_I_ did not shoot you. Benny did." House barked, his pompous tone indicating he thought she was a fool for even making that connection.

"Yeah, but it was your fault. If you had just died when you were supposed to none of this would be happening. You made a big mistake trying to manipulate me." She lifted her gun – Benny's old gun – and aimed at Mr. House's head. "I'm through with you. I _almost_ considered putting you back in your tube and forcing you to just sit there, powerless, as the world moved on without you. Figured it would be your own personal kind of hell seeing how much you like being in control of things. But you've lived long enough."

She didn't give Mr. House a chance to say one more word and put a bullet through his skull the same way Benny had done her. The only difference was that House would never wake again. In her opinion that was a giant step for the world. "Its time for us to put aside the old world." She told House's dead body. "Holding onto the past – it just leaves you dead inside."

* * *

This was a fabulously fun chapter to write. I never really thought I was that good at action, although I think I'm getting better, but its always a blast to try and write it. R&R, kiddies.


	5. Quicksand

Good morning campers, its time for chapter 5! (Which also means its review reply time!)

Heulwen: Yeah, don't they though? I can't wait for them to work together again. He's so serious and she's so... not as much. Hehe, and I feel really happy about the updating myself. I haven't been able to write this productively for a long time and it gives me pride that it seems people are enjoying it, too.

NukaColaQueen: I think its my favorite line in the story so far. I just couldn't resist when it popped into my head.

**

* * *

Chapter V**

**Quicksand**

It was turning out to be a beautiful day in the Mojave wasteland, or so the view from Lucullus' raft implied. Scarlet sat with her legs hanging over the back, boots beside her and pants rolled up to her knees, so she could enjoy the cool, soothing sensation of the water running over her skin. In the midday sun the water seemed to sparkle with a divine light, especially in the places where the light refracted off the surface and was thrown up to dance upon the rocks lining the banks. Above her stretched the sky in its infinite blue, cloudless and bright. Somewhere in the distance she heard the determined cry of a bird of prey diving down upon its meal. The thought of the sudden attack reminded her of how House must have felt when she'd come waltzing into the Lucky 38 with war on her mind. He had been minding his own business – the business of controlling the Strip – when bam all of it was over and he laid limp and dead in Scarlet's talons.

_Not so lucky anymore, are we House?_ She allowed a wry grin as she tilted her head back to observe what Vulpes was doing. Since House's demise he'd barely said anything to her, but it hadn't seemed like he was being rude about it. To Scarlet it had been more like they just didn't have anything to say to each other anymore. The Frumentarius impressed her as the kind of man who was very dedicated to whatever he was doing, focused. Now that their mission was over there was no more business to discuss and idle conversation had been a waste. For a while she believed he'd begin his series of personal questioning again to dig beneath her psyche and discover what made her tick. He'd opted out of that, too, which was both a relief and a disappointment. Where she was happy that he was no longer prying into her head she was uncomfortable with his long silences.

Scarlet was surprised to find the dark-haired man watching her, and like a deer trapped in pre-war headlights she found her gaze pinned by his. The narrow angles of his eyes were sharp but not unpleasant, in fact she was realizing that she liked the simplicity of them, and the intelligence that shone as bright as the strip from the depths of them. A truly intelligent man was hard to come by in the wasteland, but sitting across from her on this raft was a prodigy, a strategic genius – _and a particularly handsome one to boot._

Vulpes Inculta might not have been everyone's cup of tea, but Scarlet had always preferred hers a little bitter. His way of doing things would likely leave a nasty aftertaste in one's mouth (as seen in the aftermath of Nipton) but while he was working he was just too beautifully delicious. Despite his eyes upon her she allowed a smirk to creep over her lips at her clever associations. Comparing his exploits to food wasn't the greatest achievement she'd ever had, but it had been very creative, and the tiny tingles of thought that accompanied the words Vulpes and taste were too much to ignore. While she was really speaking metaphorically to herself about the two ideals another part of her brain was dredging up images that would have made the Garrett twins blush.

"Yes?" She inquired.

"We should reach Fortification Hill soon," he told her, showing no sign of what had really been going on in his head, "perhaps you should prepare to disembark." He allowed his gaze to shift from her eyes (pity) and down to her bare legs. Whereas she could have been planning on climbing up to Caesar's tent without her boots on he seriously doubted it, and he didn't want to wait for her to wrestle them on after they'd come to a stop. Cursor Lucullus had to get back to Cottonwood and Vulpes himself had other work to do outside of wandering around with her.

Without argument she swung her legs out of the water and proceeded to wipe off any excess that remained before shoving on a couple pairs of socks and replacing the boots back upon her feet. By the time Lucullus stopped the raft at the Fort's docks she had everything ready and they immediately stepped off onto the ground. They bid farewell to the ferryman and made their way up to the main gates where once again Scarlet was expected to turn over her arms.

"Aw, come on, I'm with him," she jerked her thumb towards Vulpes, "its not like I'm going to be shooting up the place. Couldn't we let it go just this once?"

The man glowered down at her, "sure you can keep them, but I'm afraid I'd have to kill you."

She blanched, "okay, I guess that's a no." She shoved her belongings at him and continued to follow Vulpes up the hill.

"You insist on keeping your weapons when you are obviously surrounded by more than enough to keep you safe." He observed, his eyes looked straight ahead, but she knew his attention was fully on her. "You do not trust us?"

"No offense there, Mr. _Fox_," she replied, "but I don't trust anyone. The Legion's known for its low views on womenfolk – which I happen to be – and it makes me just a little bit nervous to be walking around this place with nothing but my fists to accompany me. It wouldn't be the first time someone has promised my safety and then ripped it out from under me."

"The Legion is not that way. We keep our word."

She couldn't stop the derisive snarl that burst from her lips, "yeah that's what everyone says before they stick a knife between your ribs, or a bullet in your head. I don't like to take my chances. Don't take this the wrong way, because I know at this moment I'm a stranger in _your_ camp, but trust works both ways. I know I'll have to earn it with you guys if I so decide that's what I want, but you'll have to earn it with me as well. Blame that on the wasteland."

"What would make you feel more comfortable?"

"Hell, I'd feel okay even if it was a stick the size of my pinky. I don't even care if I could kill a mole rat with what I had, just… something."

"You're like a child in need of a security blanket." Vulpes sneered, but she was surprised to see it wasn't just one of disgust, there was a bit of amusement written in there as well. The bigger surprise was when he suddenly grabbed her by the neck and hauled her into a space between two tents, her back shoved roughly against a post there while his other hand snaked under her first layer of clothes. Thoughts burst through Scarlet's mind and she found that she was scared and excited all at the same time. His curled fingers brushed against the edge of her breast and she resisted the urge to draw in an intake of breath. She could tell there was something in his hand, something he deposited within the inside pocket of her leather jacket.

His breath was hot against her throat as he leaned into her ear and whispered, "I know that you have it, and where it is. If you reach for it I will slit your throat myself, are we understood?" Then the moment was over and he stepped back away from her, dragging her back out onto the main path to continue their journey to Caesar's tent. She let her hand drift up to feel the hidden bulk of what he'd slipped in her clothes and realized it was a little switchblade knife.

"Why?" She asked. Part of his job was to protect Caesar and here he'd given her a weapon. Sure, it was a tiny little thing, probably unable to do any real kind of damage in the small time she would have if she did decide to leap on their leader, but it was still something sharp and pointy.

"Because I don't really feel like watching you twitch around like a frightened squirrel in front of Lord Caesar."

She bristled, "what makes you think I'd do something like that? I didn't last time."

He actually laughed. It was a short, mocking one, but a laugh nonetheless. "Yes, and last time you most likely had some kind of weapon hidden on you that the guards missed. I'm not a fool, and you're not either. Today you seem less than happy to be here, even more so than last time, and I would presume that's because, like an _idiot_, you forgot to bring anything you could slip passed them. Correct?"

Her mouth became a straight line, a little angry that once more this man had pegged her so well. "Like I'd tell you."

"All right. That's fine. Just understand that if I ever find anything on you that is _not_ that which I just gave you then you shall regret it." His voice had deepened into a threatening purr. As they approached Caesar's tent he added, almost as an afterthought, "oh and if you do ever use that," he nodded towards the hidden knife in her jacket, "I will claim you must have gotten it passed the guards somehow and deny all knowledge."

"Understood. I suppose this will be our first little lesson in trust, now won't it? I'll trust you won't rat me out with this knife, and you trust that I won't actually use it."

Vulpes nodded at her. For some reason Caesar believed her to be important and he was willing to do what it took to get her to see the Legion as something other than what the outside world was feeding people. The first step in any relationship, business or personal, was always trust. It didn't matter if that trust would be kept or was intending to be broken at some later date, but it was necessary for proper progress. It would be a shame to kill her before he could see what Caesar was talking about, but he had meant what he had said. If she even twitched wrong he would tear into her. She might have survived a bullet, the wasteland, and the battle for the Lucky 38, but she would not survive him.

-X-

Vulpes did most of the talking. Scarlet didn't mind at all because she enjoyed the sound of his voice as well as his apparent top-notch abilities to weave beautiful words into sentences. If he hadn't become part of the Frumentarii she could have seen him as a master storyteller. It was just another reason on her list that she was becoming more and more disappointed with his allegiances. Every second in his presence her attraction to him was growing, an attraction that was going to go nowhere just because he was part of the Legion and saw her as a tool: not a woman, and definitely not a soldier.

Once more Caesar was impressed with Scarlet's performance and thanked her. Then it came down to the moment that she knew would be coming the entire time. He asked her once again if she was going to side when them, and she did not have an answer. She shifted on her feet and started to cross her arms over her chest as she thought, but remember the switchblade in her jacket and Vulpes' threat she quickly dropped them to her sides so he didn't mistakenly believe her to be going for it. After a moment she gave a deep sigh, "Look, Caesar, I've really enjoyed working for you and everything, but it hasn't been all that long and I still don't know anything about you. Not really. I'm not telling you it's a no, but I can't honestly tell you a yes right now and I don't feel comfortable lying just to make you like me."

The older man studied her and she wasn't sure if he was angry or not. "It seems we are at an impasse then Courier."

"It seems we are. But if you give me a few days I'll have some kind of answer for you."

"Very well," Caesar agreed after a long deliberation. "You have three days to make your choice. By then I would like to know if you are with us, or against us. There will be no more extensions."

Scarlet gulped and nodded. "I understand. I will return in three days time, no matter the answer."

-X-

She was starting to seriously wonder about the stability of her sanity. Explaining away why she'd blown up the generators in the bunkers was easy as was why she'd accepted Caesar's help (or Vulpes', rather) to take down House. Why she was continuing to entertain ideas of some sort of partnership with the Legion after she could no longer see any reason to even stay in the Mojave was troubling. She'd only stuck around so she could track down Benny, which she'd done. Then she'd stayed because of House, for she couldn't just let that jackass get his way. If she was smart she'd just pack up her things and high tail it over into NCR territory, or maybe she'd head North and out of both the NCR and Legion jurisdictions.

Many times in her life she'd felt her subconscious working against her like this. Her rational logic would tell her what would be the best thing to do and then for some reason she'd do something else, as if some mechanical part of her was running completely separate from her brain and making her do all kinds of ignorant things. Sometimes, after the fact, she could see this subconscious entity's choice had been righter than her logical one, but unless there were facts her inner mind were picking out that she wasn't getting about the Legion she was at a loss why her feet weren't carrying her away from this place as fast as they could.

As she thought about footsteps she heard some coming up behind her, hurried but not quite running. When she turned to see what was going on she found the man who had taken her down to the bunker jogging towards her. She didn't know why he would be coming to talk to her, but as he stopped before her she realized that he was indeed going to speak to her. "You're Gaius, right?"

He looked surprised she remembered. "Uh, yeah." He answered. His voice was smooth and sounded very friendly. It was the exact opposite of Vulpes'. "Vulpes asked me to come talk to you about a possible job."

"I already told Caesar that I wasn't sure about what I was going to do yet. Vulpes was standing right there. He should know this."

Gaius ran a hand through his dark brown hair and considered her a moment before going on. "Its not that kind of a job. It's a personal favor for him."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. Vulpes Inculta inquiring upon her a personal favor? Now that was fascinating. "What would this favor be?"

"It is a job that normally a member of the Frumentarii would do, but we have almost everyone busy right now and this is a matter that must be taken care of quickly. There is a woman in the Strip, her name is Martina Groesbeck, and she's very important to some plans of ours. She has a way of getting secrets and selling them for a price, but lately she's attracted some unwanted attention from the Omertas and they've been talking about teaching her a lesson."

"So you want me to go take care of this problem?" She asked. "Why didn't Vulpes just come ask me himself?"

"He's busy right now so he asked me to do it." Gaius explained.

Scarlet smirked and looked over his shoulder. Vulpes Inculta was standing outside Caesar's tent with his arms crossed over his chest, watching as she and Gaius conversed. "Yeah, he looks really fucking busy."

Gaius turned and followed her gaze and then let out a deep irritated sigh before continuing, "are you going to do it, or not?"

"Fine, fine. I'll do it." She waved one of her hands dismissively at him and then raised her right hand to give the OK sign over his head up at the other man. "But next time tell him if he wants something done he can come ask me himself."

Gaius rubbed his temples. "If this is the way you are then no wonder why he didn't come talk to you himself."

Her mouth twitched and she put her hands on her hips, "what is that supposed to mean. I'm a perfectly friendly individual."

"Sure you are." He replied.

"Whatever." Scarlet rolled her eyes. "I'll give Vulpes my report on the matter when I return to talk to Caesar. And I _will _be talking to Vulpes."

"I'm sure he'll be overjoyed." Gaius answered, deadpanned. His sarcasm was not lost on the woman standing in front of him and she gave him a snarky smile before turning on her heels and marching down towards the entrance. He, too, was beginning to wonder what the hell Caesar was thinking.

* * *

Gaius was originally supposed to be a once-only character, but since I named him when he took Scarlet down to the weather station bunker I kind of sealed his fate as being a slightly bigger part of all this. A personality came to me, a quirky one, and I think that if I continue to use him later he'll be a source of interest and amusement.

Next Chapter: As Scarlet grapples with the her decision she must also find a way to ensure the protection of Martina the spy.


	6. But Its Better If You Do

**Chapter VI**

**But Its Better If You Do**

Silver-speckled ash fell from the tip of the cigarette Scarlet held loosely in her fingers and dissolved into the breeze. She had never been a smoker before; in fact she wasn't the type to indulge in any kind of real vices. Drinking was a rare treat for her, drugs were out of the question, and sex, well sex wasn't even part of the equation. So she surprised herself when she'd grabbed one of the packs she had found left over in her suite and settled herself outside on the steps of the Lucky 38 to watch the crowd pass by. There was a strange disquiet creeping into her heart as the people, gamblers and NCR soldiers alike, went on about their day as if nothing was happening. They didn't know that House had been killed, just yards from where they now wandered drunkenly, unaware that the balance of power was shifting.

It made her uneasy that the death of someone that had been that important to the progression of something as influential as the Strip could be so easily overlooked, but it was not a surprise. He had never been one to be social, at least not to any living person, and when he needed something passed along he had his robots. Toward the end he had begun shutting himself off from even those he had sent messages to, disappearing further into recluse behavior, which would allow his death to go completely unnoticed for a long stretch of time. Life went on none the wiser and probably would continue to do so because no one had seemed to really like the presence of the mysterious Strip overlord. _You lived that long, House, over 200 years, and what do you have to show for it?_ She thought, taking another drag and exhaling slowly. The smoke rose and she watched the Gomorrah through the thinning grey veil.

_Absolutely nothing._

Earlier that day she'd gone over to the Vault 21 Hotel where she'd talked to the woman who ran the place, named Sarah, and had been informed that Martina would be in later that night and she could come back if she liked. So Scarlet had rolled back over to the Lucky 38 to wait. First she'd read a book on pre-war medicine, and when it had failed to calm her mind she had resorted to the cigarettes, remembering how her father used to say they settled his nerves. She didn't know anything about that, but the tactile feeling of holding something in her hand, taking a drag every once in a while, and just breathing, made her feel like she was at least doing something instead of sitting on her ass spying on the Omertas' casino and wondering what the fuck she was supposed to do about it all.

She was also supposed to be thinking about her answer for Caesar, but it was turning into the hardest decision she had ever made. Deciding to track down Benny had been difficult enough, and then letting him go after she found him had been another feat, but she had felt her soul splitting apart when she'd been forced to make the final choice to actually kill him in Caesar's tent. After that she didn't think anything could be that wearing, not even when she'd agreed to kill House, which was a slam-dunk decision if she ever saw one. Scarlet realized that what Caesar said was true, even if she had never considered it before in her life, when she did set her mind to something it got done and it got done well. If she did help the Legion then God help the people of the Mojave.

_And why should I care?_ She asked herself. _What have they ever done for me but give me dirty looks or plot some way to fuck me over? _The wasteland was in need for some heavy justice, a spring cleaning, if you would, and she wasn't sure yet if the Legion was right for the job, but the NCR was only making matters worse and if people weren't intelligent enough to know to get the fuck out of the way then let their pride damn them to a life of slavery under a cruel regime.

Oh, but she didn't mean that, did she? She'd met some good people out there, good people that still wouldn't leave their homes, not out of stupidity, but the principle of things. Doc Mitchell and the people of Goodsprings had done everything they could to get her – a stranger!– back on her feet after Benny downed her. _Yeah, but you've already repaid their kindness by getting rid of those power gangers for them…_

_And that makes it all right for you to just sign them over to someone like Caesar – even worse, someone like Vulpes? _ Another voice rose in her mind. Ah, this was her voice of reason and she had missed it so the last few days. _You know he'll crucify some of them for fighting back, nail up people that you hugged goodbye or kissed on the cheek before you left for Primm. How do you feel about that? Sunny on a cross, what a martyr she'd make and –_

_STOP IT! _She gripped the sides of her head, trying to quiet the voice now. She didn't want to hear any more of that. _Maybe I could make a deal for them to be ignored?_

_If you really think that's possible, then you're naïve. _

Maybe she was naïve, but she couldn't just _not_ do anything. She had three days to make a decision and when that was up she'd have to return with it. If it was yes she was most likely signing away her soul, and if it was no she was probably signing her death warrant. It would be easier to just say yes she supposed and run errands for him while she took care of her own business. She _did _have the basis for a contingency plan running through her mind. That way she wouldn't piss off the Legion, but she would have to be really careful because of the NCR. If they caught wind of her even batting an eyelash at the Legion they would brand her a terrorist so fast her head would spin before they completely knocked it off her shoulders and used it for a soccer ball.

She flicked the cigarette butt against the closest trashcan and rose to her feet. She still had two days to consider her options but she only had a little while to go find Martina. Her pip boy had beeped a few times, alerting her to the alarm she'd set for the time Sarah had told her to come back. Scarlet switched it off and strapped on her weapons, her fingers grazing slowly over the surface of Maria as she did so; her little reminder that Benny was no longer in this world because of her. _I'll take care of her Benny, _she promised the dead man, _I'll take care of this whole goddamned mess. I don't know how yet, but I will, just wait and see…_

-X-

Sarah waved to her as she entered, a bright smile on her face, and told her that Martina had arrived some time ago and was already downstairs somewhere in the vault. Scarlet thanked her and headed down, unsure of what to expect. She'd never been inside of a vault before, and once she began exploring it she hoped she would never have to go down into another one. Vaults were apparently irritating masses of corridors upon corridors that twisted around and confused your brain. More than once she had to double back because she'd lost her way. She supposed those that lived in vaults got around via map. _No wonder why they needed pip boys._

Finally she decided to start back from the beginning and go a different direction. This time her search bore fruit. As she was passing one of the closed doors she could hear muffled voices, muffled _angry_ voices. She reached up and pushed the button on the control panel. When the door slid open she was confronted by three men in suits and hats that were most likely the men from the Omertas. "What the fuck do you want, get out of here." One of them told her.

She rolled her eyes at his attempt to be intimidating. She'd waltzed her way through the Legion's fort and witnessed one of their atrocities first hand. There was no way these guys were going to scare her. "Last time I checked you weren't my daddy. I haven't taken orders in years big guy, get the fuck out of _my_ way." She shoved passed them and stepped through into the room. Behind her she could feel the air tensing up as they obviously were growing very angry at her arrogance and disrespect. She felt the change in pressure as one of them moved to go for some type of weapon but she moved backwards, slamming her elbow into his stomach, and then when he doubled over she spun around and kneed him in the face as hard as she could. Meanwhile she had reached to her side and pulled Maria from her holster and was now aiming it at the man who had spoken to her, who seemed to be the ringleader in this particular group.

"Move," she warned, "and I put a hole in your head." _Unless this gun always mucks up headshots and then I'm shit out of luck._

"What the hell do you want?"

"For you three little piggies to march on home before I blow your house down. Comprende, motherfucker?"

"This isn't the end of this, bitch." The leader snarled at her, motioning for the other man to pick up he one she'd kicked the crap out of. As soon as they were gone she hit the button again and the door closed, leaving her and Martina alone.

"Oh my god, I'm glad you showed up!" Martina cried. "They were going to kill me."

Scarlet decided to play dumb for a while and dig into the situation herself. "Why would they want to kill you? You must have done something to really piss them off, huh?" She chuckled lightly and waited for the woman to give her an answer. It was not what she had expected.

"Well, I have this habit, you know, people talk, and they talk loud. There's a guy who works for the NCR, his last name's Curtis. I kind of sell him the information I hear about things. The Omertas must have found out. I guess I was stupid." She let her face fall as she sat down on a couch and let her head drop into her hands. "I was spending an awful lot of time in their casino."

"Well, if I were you I'd knock that off, at least for now. I'm not always going to be around to help you out." Scarlet scratched the underside of her chin with her gun thoughtfully and added, "are you sure this Curtis guy is with the NCR?"

Martina looked confused. "Yeah, he wears a uniform and everything, why?"

"No reason, just curious." Scarlet replied. _So she doesn't even know that she's really selling secrets to the Legion. I bet that "NCR" guy is really some Legion spy or something. That would have been nice to know before I started this little quest for you, Vulpes. _ She could have really messed things up if she'd opened her mouth about the Legion before questioning Martina. "Listen, I'm going to try to take care of this for you, but in the meantime you're going to have to lay low, all right?"

Martina looked thankful and nodded. "Why are you doing this?"

"Let's just say I'm a sucker for helping people with their problems, okay?" She smiled. "Now is there an address I can find you at when I'm finished, so I can let you know it's all right to come out of hiding?"

"Oh yeah." Martina grabbed a strip of paper from a table across the room and jotted down a few quick directions to the place she would be staying. "It's a friend's place, but she works with the Crimson Caravan Company and is going to be out of town for a while."

Scarlet read the note a few times to make sure she could understand the handwriting and didn't have any questions and then nodded at the woman in front of her. "I better get going. I have a lot of thinking to do. Go ahead and head over there and I'll see you in a couple days."

She left Martina alone, but waited outside Vault 21 for her to come out. Just in case those Omerta assholes were still around she followed the other woman all the way to her new safe house and waited for her to go inside. When Scarlet was satisfied that neither one of them were tracked and that Martina was safe she headed back over to the Lucky 38 to get some essentials together. She was going to the Gomorrah tonight…

-X-

The receptionist was a rather talkative one, especially when she had a pretty face batting her eyelashes and promising to keep every little secret she was told. Scarlet learned a few things about the Strip and then was given a highly usable piece of intel about a man named Cachino, who was one of the officers within the Omertas. The receptionist believed he was up to something that the other members of the group wouldn't be too happy about and had witnessed him on more than one occasion acting suspicious. Cachino would be Scarlet's first stop on her search for something she could use against the Omertas.

Further investigation on the man did indeed imply he was up to no good, but it wouldn't take long for a confrontation between the two, because Cachino found her first. He grabbed her by the collar of her suit and pinned her against the wall near the elevators. "I hear you been askin questions about me. Its dangerous business waltzing around in here talking shit and spreading rumors."

"I didn't believe something was a rumor if it was true, Mr. Cachino," she told him, "from what I've heard you've been pulling some pretty shady maneuvers against your own team."

"Its bullshit, lady, and if I hear one more word about you stirring up trouble I'll make sure you never open your mouth again."

"Quite a threat. I think I'll keep it in mind." Scarlet wasn't about to be talked down from her endeavor from a sleazy mobster. There was a lot more riding on her success than just a woman's life, because if she failed to go through with this simple request that had been made of her she would likely lose any positive favor with the Legion. What use was she if she couldn't even get some arrogant jerks on the Strip to back off one person?

"You'd better." The man let her go and shoved her backwards. He stalked off into the main Casino, completely missing the smirk that broke out over her face. She held up the key she'd slipped from his pocket, examining for a few moments before placing it in her own and making her way over to the elevator.

-X-

The Omerta guards didn't pay much attention to her as she wandered their halls. She guessed a petite little blond in a skirt suit didn't look too threatening, which worked out well in her favor. There was no one near Cachino's room and she quickly used the key she'd stolen to slip inside and begin searching through his things. In his desk she found a worn leather bound journal, Cachino's scratch-like handwriting adorning every page. A lot of it was his own personal conquests, Omerta business that she didn't give a shit about because it was all in the past. In the most recent passages he talked about the bosses' plans to do something big, _really_ big, and spoke about two men called Troike and Clanden being a big part of it. Apparently Cachino was trying to stop whatever plans his bosses wanted to set forth. Pocketing the journal she exited his quarters and headed off to find Troike or Clanden.

She found Troike quite easily and with a few choice words got him to admit that he was a weapons smuggler and that the Omertas were getting him and his contacts to steal NCR ordinance for their big plan. He wanted out, but they had his number for a hooker he'd apparently killed in a drug-induced stupor so he would stay. Anything much more than that she couldn't get out of him because of his fear of retaliation from his employers. If it hadn't been for his drug use and appearance as a particularly unpleasant individual she might have tried to help him, but he'd gotten himself into the mess and she wasn't here to help him. She said goodbye, and using the information she had gained from Troike about the "specialist," Clanden, she headed up to his room.

The more dirt she could dig up about the Omerta family the better, and what she found in Clanden's room, hidden behind a large armoire, was gold. Clanden was a sick man, specializing not only in what the Omerta family had hired him for, but also for torturing and killing women. He'd probably been the real person behind that hooker's death in Troike's presence. After watching a few minutes of Clanden's holotape she turned it off with a disgusted sigh.

The safe swung closed and she turned and headed down the stairs into the main room for the door. As she reached the bottom of the stairs the door swung open and whom she assumed was Clanden and one of the Omerta guards walked into the room. She froze.

"You." The guard growled, and she suddenly recognized him as the one she'd beat around back at the Vault 21 Hotel. He had a bandage across his nose, indicating she must have broken it. Her smirk of glee only lasted until he raised a handgun at her face and chuckled, the dark sound causing a chill to go up her back.

"Well, what a coinkidink!" She exclaimed.

"Isn't it just?" The guard replied, malice biting into each word.

"You uh wouldn't consider letting me walk out of here would you?" She inquired, already knowing she was most likely screwed already.

"Oh, no." He grabbed her by the arm and jerked her forward. She didn't fight him on the way to see the big bosses, especially because of the cold gun barrel pressing into the back of her neck. She'd like to keep her head thank you very much. As they passed the table that Cachino was seated he gave her a wry smirk that told her he was happy she'd been caught, happy until she opened the bag at her side just enough to reveal she had his journal, and then his face fell.

_That's right asshole,_ she thought,_ if I'm going down so are you_.

As she was shoved into a chair in the head honchos' office she started to consider all her options in this matter. They were very few, and even fewer would probably work. Once more she'd gotten herself into trouble, and this time she might not be able to get out.

One of the men looked down at her, "so you're the one that's been causing all the trouble tonight?"

"I guess so." She replied, looking straight ahead.

"Now you're going to tell us why you're here, and I mean _everything._" She handed it to him. He was a down to business kind of guy. That worked. She didn't want to be here any longer than she wanted to be anyway, and if they planned to kill her, then she wanted to go ahead and get that over with, too.

"I really don't have a choice in the matter, do I?" She finally raised her gaze to him.

"Not if you want to live."

That was a complex question for a woman like Scarlet, but for the moment the answer was yes.

* * *

_Dun dun dun..._

Chapter a little late today, but I was trying to figure out the way I wanted to handle this as well as what I wanted to change. R&R.

**Next Chapter: Rigged From the Start** - Scarlet tries to get herself out of a sticky situation and finally must make some kind of choice regarding Caesar.


	7. Rigged From the Start

**Chapter VII**

**Rigged From the Start**

The big man in charge was called Nero. Just that name implied trouble in and of itself. Scarlet beat down the urge to ask him if he could play a musical instrument, and if he did had he ever sat and played it while watching something burn. It was probably foolish, but the only reason she _didn't_ crack the joke was because she figured it would go over their heads and she'd have to explain it, thus ruining the joke at his expense. It was a very tiresome thought so she just kept her mouth shut. Meanwhile, Nero was not so quiet, in fact he was making it a point to threaten her safety and feed her to a pack of wild dogs that was just as likely to hump her corpse than eat it, which was leaving her with an unsettling and crude vision dancing through her mind. At the very least their leader was creative.

Scarlet raised one eyebrow at the man as he finished his spectacular description of what might befall her if she didn't come clean. Of course, she knew that she was most likely dead anyway if she didn't come up with something to go along with why she was there. Speaking of that, why _was_ she there? The last thing she wanted to do was actually tell him the truth. Saying she was there on the behalf of a Legion soldier who wanted a woman left alone might not sit well in the Strip, no matter how rough and cruel these particular men seemed to be. The lie she came up with was one that even surprised herself, "well, to tell you the truth I'm here because Mr. House asked me to come."

The three men in the room exchanged glances before eyes settled back on Scarlet. Her every word would have to count now. One mistake in this elaborate little tale and she wouldn't have to worry about Caesar or his Legion; she wouldn't have to worry about anything at all. She crossed one leg over the other and laid her arms across her knees in a casual, almost businesslike manner. "I had hoped I could be in and out with no trouble, that way there wouldn't be this… _awkwardness_."

"And why would House be sending someone like you?"

She examined her fingernails for a few seconds, playing as calm as possible. "Listen, I'm not a psychologist, how the hell am I supposed to know what's going on in his head. If you're asking why he didn't send in his little pet cans its because he didn't want to cause a stir. This is still a business and he didn't want to interrupt things on just a rumor."

"What kind of a rumor?" Nero was narrowing his eyes at her. The good thing was he was no longer pacing up and down in front of her like some kind of wild creature stalking his prey. He sat on the edge of a desk, regarding her with careful consideration.

"Well, I'm sure you've heard about one of the Chairmen going AWOL?" She inquired, and when the man nodded she continued, "It seems that good ol' Benny was planning something to really get the Strip in a tizzy." Nero and Big Sal looked particularly inquisitive at this to which she added with a motion of her hand and a quaint smirk, "of course that plan is something between only Mr. House, the Tops, and myself."

"So why are you _here_?"

"Word has reached the Lucky 38 that Benny wasn't the only one that had plans of some dramatic takeover," her hand flew to her mouth and she looked surprised at herself, "oops, I wasn't supposed to say that." Playing dumb was one of the best ways to get others to let their guard down as well as convince them that most of what you were saying was most likely the truth because you were too stupid to make up a lie. "Anyway, he's getting paranoid, so he hired me to check out the rest of the places on the Strip and report back anything funny I've heard."

"Well, there's not anything funny going on in the Gomorrah so you can head on back over there and tell Mr. House that we're all fine here."

"Oh, really?" She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, dropping her tone to a secretive whisper as her hand drew out Cachino's diary and held it up. "This little book says different." She read from a passage particularly about aforementioned big plan and smiled as the line of Nero's mouth grew even straighter. Oh, someone was angry now.

"What makes you think we're just going to walk out of here with that?" Behind her she heard the guard step in front of the door. She was sure he was itching for some pay back right about now. If she worked everything right he'd never get it.

"Because if you don't a few of my NCR friends are going to bust in here looking for me. I know, they're not _supposed_ to carry weapons and the like, but I have a lot of…" She sat up straighter, subtlety indicating her cleavage, "…charisma, and I have more than a few willing to break some rules to help me out." This was possibly the most unbelievable part of her story, but she was hoping they would buy it. "I know that they wouldn't get far if you decided to shoot them up, but think of the damage to _business_ such a commotion would cause. You seem like an astute businessman, so I bet we can settle this ricky tick, what do you say?"

"What is it you have it mind?"

"I give you back the journal – for a price, cos nothing in this life's free, honey – and I waltz on over and tell Mr. House that you're okay in my book. I'm not a big fan of the old geezer myself. I just need one small little favor." She held up her thumb and forefinger a few centimeters apart.

"That is?" He was starting to get a little irritated with her, but he was holding his patience. He was a smart man and fixing this little fiasco in a quiet manner would be best. She knew it and he knew it.

"There's a woman I hired to do the job for me because frankly I have better things to do than run around being House's errand girl. Her name's Martina Groesbeck." Their attention piqued. "Yeah, you know who she is. Some of your fucking boys tried to kill her earlier, which I am none too happy about."

"She's working for _you_?" Nero sneered at her. "That's a big lie. We've seen that broad talking to some NCR asshole."

She gave her best sigh of annoyance and condescension. "Did you _not _hear me say that I had friends in the NCR. Tsk tsk, here I was thinking you were smart. I told her to tell a contact of mine when she got some information. That way he could have his little soldiers radio out a message to get back to the Strip and get it. Once more, I have better things to do than sitting around the Strip and wasting my money. So, will you leave her the hell alone or not?" She raised the journal again and waved it around a few times. When he reached for it she pulled back. "Caps for the journal and a yes or no for the girl?"

"Well leave her alone." Nero finally told her, and after a small negotiation he dropped a pile of caps into her hand and she handed over the journal.

"By the way, you should really watch your employees." She nodded towards the journal. "He could have ruined everything for you. Whatever it is that you're doing." She realized that she hadn't even asked what it was, not that she cared. Not asking had probably made her ploy of only wanting caps and a personal favor more real. If she had asked they might have thought she was some kind of spy and offed her anyway. "Pleasure doing business with you gentlemen." She tipped her hat and rose to her feet.

The twitch at the corner of his mouth told her that the feeling wasn't mutual. "And House doesn't find out anything?"

The reason for the sick smile that crept over her face would probably be lost on the men, but the memory of House's demise was fresh in her mind, and for the first time in their conversation she told the truth. "Oh, I can promise House will never hear a word about it."

-X-

Her journey to the fort was much easier now that she knew the way, and with two previous visits under her belt she already had the procedure down. The only problem that persisted was the fact that she was still uncertain about the choice she had decided to bring to the table. It wasn't exactly what Caesar had requested, but she believed that it was in the best interest of everyone involved. She had thrown around the idea of just lying and pretending to work for them just to get them off her back, but she knew that eventually that lie would come out and Scarlet despised lying anyway, unless, of course, it was in certain circumstances. Lying to strangers was one thing, but she'd already developed a repertoire with the Legion, making her mind unable to wrap around the idea of telling them a lie.

If she had more time to think about it maybe she could have come up with something better than what she did, but between running around helping Martina and doing some errands of her own it had left little in the way of true reflective space. She supposed she could have just put off her personal job for later, but the contingency plan that was brewing in case things didn't work out seemed a priority, for if negotiations with the Legion blew up in her face she didn't like the idea of going to the NCR. A more private backup was in order. For that she needed Yes Man, the robot Benny had left behind.

Once again Cursor Lucullus took her down river to the Fort. He even spoke to her a few times. It wasn't what a normal person would call friendly, but considering he was Legion and that she was still most likely a profligate, or at the very least a dissolute, in his eyes it was progress. After he dropped her off she made her way to the guard and dropped her bag of weapons at his feet with a smile. "My cache, my good man."

He eyed her with something bordering suspicion as he checked the bag and then patted her down. Scarlet felt much better with Vulpes' switchblade gift still tucked over her heart and allowed the search without an argument. When the guard stepped back and motioned her on she gave a salute and continued on her merry way. A few of the other Legionaries were watching her closely, perhaps confused or intrigued by her bouncy manner. It wasn't every day a woman walked into camp with such a bright expression on her face. Scarlet couldn't hide it though, because she felt good about things at the moment.

When she entered the tent she exclaimed, without care if there had been a conversation going on or not, "Good Morning, Lord Caesar. Your favorite profligate has returned!"

Caesar raised a graying eyebrow and regarded her with interest. "Courier, you seem quite chipper. I will assume you have a positive answer for me then?"

"I believe I have a plan that will satisfy both of our wishes, sir. Its not a clear yes or no, but if you'll allow me to explain I believe it to be in the best interest to our goals."

The elder man considered her and then waved his hand for her to continue.

"The answer is yes, I will work for you, _but_ it will be for a short time in which I want to learn more about your Legion and yourself. I have to tell you I have a strange kind of honor code and it is not allowing me to side with you yet, not fully. However, I have noticed that your men also have a kind of honor code, which is more than I can say about the NCR. It intrigues me and I want to learn about it. At the end of my probationary period – which is also for you as much as me, because you have to know if I can be trusted, am I right? – I can give you a permanent answer, one I will be bound by no matter what."

This obviously interested the emperor. "While your answer is not the one I was hoping for it does seem that you respectfully gave it some thought. Yet, I must consider your words. Stay within the camp until I send for you. I will give you my answer soon."

She nodded, her body bowing a little bit. "That works out just fine, in fact it allows me to get a head start if you do choose my suggestion. Of course, whatever you decide will be what we will do." Handing over full decision making to him wasn't the best course perhaps, but it was the only option. Caesar had to feel like he was in control lest he deny her idea on the basis of spite just to show her who was boss. Feed a man's ego and he might give you what you want. It was a lesson she should have used on Benny.

"Gaius, if you would give our guest a tour."

"First…" Scarlet said, eyes flickering to Vulpes, "I have some business I have to conduct with the Frumentarii."

"Do you?" Caesar had begun to stand, but now he settled back into his seat with curiosity.

Before she could speak Vulpes did the explaining for her. "Last time she was here I sent her on a mission for me. Perhaps she has news of it."

Scarlet nodded.

"Very well. Give your report then." Caesar was going to stay and listen.

"I found Martina for you," she informed, "and if I had been ten seconds later she might be dead. I don't know what her middle name is but it should be trouble. Do you have any idea what I went through to do this little job for you?" It was a rhetorical question, so she didn't give him any time to reply. "You're quite lucky I'm standing here talking to you." She began her story of her trip into the Gomorrah and spared no detail. She explained what she had learned about the family, including the bosses' big unknown plan to do something to the Strip, and then, when prompted, explained how she wriggled out of Death's grasp. "They bought it hook line and sinker. Its not like they'll be able to find out from a dead man that I was lying, and I doubt they'll run over and ask the NCR about me."

The expression that broke through Vulpes' usual stony façade left a tingling pit in her stomach. Part of her enjoyed the feeling that look gave her, pride perhaps? The other part of her was wary, even ashamed that she got so much pleasure from his approval. She'd never needed a man's approval for anything in her life, so why now, and why him? "I am quite impressed." He told her, and by the gleaming within his eyes she knew he was telling her the truth.

It was then she noticed that Caesar was having trouble containing what looked to be a very amused chuckle. Confused she confronted this, "what is it? I feel like I am missing something."

"Gaius, if you would be so kind as to enlighten the poor girl." Caesar rose and turned to go into his private quarters, ordering Vulpes Inculta to follow him for a private discussion. Scarlet was annoyed that he was not answering her himself, but maybe that was just his way of asserting that he was still the Legion's leader. With a deep sigh she turned and followed the brown haired man out of Caesar's tent.

"And we meet again."

"That we do." He said. Why was it always him that was sent to deal with her?

"So, tell me what's so hilarious about my encounter with the Strip jerk-offs."

"That plan you were talking about with the Omertas… its ours."

"Its what?" Scarlet was sure she had not heard him correctly. Could it be that after all that trouble she had went through, after facing almost certain death at the hands of a few suited asswipes, that the Legion already had dealings with them and could have easily just told her so she could relay a message to them safely to leave Martina alone. Surely if they were working together then they would have honored the Legion's wish for her life? Then it hit her and her whole entire frame shook with rage. "I was set up."

"You weren't set up. You were just… tested. Vulpes wanted to see how you would handle the situation. Honestly I think you did even better than he thought you would. By the look on his face I don't think he considered a plan like yours."

"Yeah, I handled it all right, and I'm going to handle my fist right in his nose." She balled her hands into fists as they walked.

"I wouldn't advise that." Gaius looked uncomfortable with her anger. His eyes flickered around them, watching the other Legionaries training and going from destination to destination.

"I could have been killed." She snarled. "I mean, really. If I'm supposed to be so fucking important why send me off to get my ass handed to me?"

"Honestly, as strange as this sounds, I believe he knew you would survive. He—" An irritated growl rumbled in his throat. "He has this unnatural preoccupation with you. I shouldn't be saying this, but I thought you needed to know."

"Unnatural preoccupation?" She stopped. That warm spiral of feeling was returning inside her, dizzied her brain.

"Well, uncharacteristic might be a better word than unnatural now that I think about it." Gaius explained. "Vulpes has always been really quiet, unless he's giving orders or discussing plans. Mostly he keeps to himself, but when it comes to you he's been quite opinionated. When he first met you he talked about you to me."

This was news, definitely news. Her head was really spinning now, and any traces of shame pounded at her racing mind telling her she was an idiot and that she shouldn't care. But she did, god, she did. "What did he say?"

"Said he met an interesting woman in Nipton. It was weird enough for him to speak outside work, much less using the words woman and interesting in the same sentence. He was pleased with your viewpoint on what he had done, even going so far as to imply that if it hadn't been for his wish that you spread the deeds he might have brought you back with him then and there."

"By 'brought me back with him' you don't mean…" Was Gaius telling her that Vulpes had entertained the idea of turning her into a slave? She felt sick, and even more ashamed that she didn't feel sicker. That thought should have been more disturbing to her, but somehow it wasn't.

"Let's just say it was lucky for you that he was busy that day and then you turned out to be the Courier that Caesar had been looking for. Vulpes doesn't require very much, but when he does want something he gets it."

Apparently that was something that she and the Frumentarius had in common.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she became aware that they were being watched. When she swiveled her gaze toward the source of her discomfort she found Vulpes watching them again, already released from whatever matters Caesar had wanted to discuss. He was too far away to hear their conversation, but it made her nervous nonetheless, afraid that somehow he knew that they were talking about him.

"If I may make an observation it seems that he's not the only one with that preoccupation." Gaius said. "It's none of my business, but you should learn to ignore those feelings. They won't lead you anywhere good."

Was he… was he _warning_ her to stay away from Vulpes? "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"I guess you can, doesn't mean I will answer it though." They were continuing to walk, the space between them and Vulpes growing by the second.

"What's your story? You don't seem like any of the others I've met so far." She wanted to tell him he seemed nicer, but he wasn't really. He was just more accepting of her as a female than the others were. She could see in his eyes that he bore much of the same masculine cruelty and brutality that the others did, and the fact that he was a member of the Praetorian Guard was evidence that he was more than able and willing to show no mercy. Still, there was something curiously odd about him.

He twitched his mouth into a thoughtful expression. "I was a little older when they raided my town than a lot of the others. I was a teenager. Most of the time older men are turned into slaves or killed rather than redoctrinated. For some reason the ones in charge of determining my fate thought I showed promise as a possible Legionary, so I was trained as one of them."

"What were you before?"

"Not much really to be honest. My father had died six months before the Legion came and left me and my sister to fend for ourselves. We were struggling and no one else was willing to help us. I tried to be a mechanic for a period of time because I'm very good with my hands that way, but most of the people weren't willing to pay the cost for parts and labor."

"Where was your mother?" Scarlet felt bad for Gaius. His story seemed like so many out there in the wasteland. It could have been her story.

"She died when my sister was born, internal hemorrhage. The doctor in town wanted too many caps to treat her, and didn't care that my father was screaming and begging for help or that he was willing to trade. For the cost of 150 caps my mother died." There was a distinct anger in his tone and she didn't blame him. She could only imagine where she would be if Doc Mitchell had been that kind of doctor, luckily he hadn't been.

"And what happened to your sister?"

"She died." Two words, that was all.

"Legion?"

"Uh… not… not quite." Gaius answered. He looked even more uncomfortable and it was obvious this was not a conversation he wanted to be having. "Its hard to explain."

"I'm sorry, it really is none of my business. Perhaps if you could just continue the tour? I meant what I said about getting to know the Legion. I have just one more personal question if I may, and can you answer me honestly."

"I will do my best." Gaius was softening to the Courier's ways a little. At first she seemed brash, but underneath it all she was just as confused and lost as the rest of the world. She was trying to find her place in it. He recognized that familiar look all too well.

"How do you feel about the Legion, I mean, do you like being a soldier? I won't say anything if you don't."

Gaius actually smiled, but it was a bittersweet one. "This may sound crazy to an outsider such as yourself, but I do. I was starving and going nowhere in my life when the Legion came through my town. I would have died within the year if they hadn't. Since then I've had purpose. I've found things that I am talented at, and they appreciate those talents and use them. This is not an ideal life for many, but for me it is comfortable. I am happy here. The Legion is my family now."

-X-

"You wanted to speak with me, my Lord?" Vulpes entered Caesar's room. From the table where he worked Lucius raised his head and nodded to him in greeting. The Frumentarius nodded back and turned his attention to their leader.

Caesar looked decidedly thoughtful, the words of the Courier no doubt racing through his mind. He took a seat in one of the leather chairs on the left side of his tent and motioned for Vulpes to take a seat as well. The officer was not comfortable with being so casual with Caesar, but did so anyway. "What is your take on her suggestion?" Caesar knew Vulpes had one. Since she had first walked onto the scene he had been too interested by her. He had even requested to be the one to take Caesar's mark and invite her to the Fort.

"I think it is irritating that she could not give a straight answer." Vulpes told him. "However, she does raise an undeniably candid point. In an earlier discussion she revealed she had trouble trusting others. To ensure complete loyalty it would be wise to earn that trust with her."

Caesar nodded. The Courier, Scarlet, was a very strong-willed woman. She was not likely to just bow to the mercy of anyone and if they forced her hand she might betray them, or even choose death over assisting them. They would have to learn what drove her and what was required to make sure that she would choose the right camp to back. In the end Caesar was confident that they could mold her desires into the will of the Legion's. "It seems she believes she has some kind of choice here. Let her believe this." He told Vulpes. "She wants to learn about us, then I will give her a tutor."

"Sir?"

Caesar smiled. "Vulpes, I am going to send you on probably one of the most important missions I have ever given you. I will give her this request, and during this 'probationary period' I want you to supervise her. Teach her about the Legion. This will be your secondary priority. The first will be to learn everything you can about her. I want you to be my eyes and ears concerning the girl. Guide her into our fold."

"Could you not send Gaius, or perhaps one of the others? I have much work to do with the Frumentarii." Vulpes was not questioning Caesar, but he did not want to look too eager to go on the road with the woman.

"You may choose your own replacement to act in your stead when you are away from the Fort, but I am afraid that it needs to be you that goes with her. You have a power over her, and I want you to use it on her."

Vulpes tensed at Caesar's implications.

"She watches you when she is here, and I have noticed that you watch her as well. A pre-existing chemistry, no matter if it is illusory, is a powerful tool. Women let their hearts run away with them, and when their emotions cloud their minds they cannot see through simple deception. Do what it takes, Vulpes."

The dark-haired man nodded. "Your will be done, Lord Caesar. Before it is through she will belong to the Legion."

"This is why you are one of the best. You do not shy away from a challenge." Caesar replied, pleased with the way matters with the Courier were shaping up. Their plans to overtake the Mojave were progressing just as smoothly. Maybe the Gods above were really watching out for them. "When Gaius has completed his tour go to her and inform her I have accepted her terms. Then return to me with her and I will give your first mission."

"Of course, my lord."

* * *

And the battle of wills has begun! I was unsure about this chapter at first but now I think it has become one of the most important. It is another long one, but it seemed necessary. Its also to make up for no posty yesterday. I was struck with an idea for a one-shot involving another Courier character and Raul, but I ran into some trouble at the end of that and was unable to complete and post it either.

Please let me know what you're thinking. I thank you for your alerts and favorites, but I also ask that you please leave reviews. I'm not a review whore, and I will not stop posting if I don't get them, but I really want to know your opinion. What do you think of Scarlet? Am I keeping Vulpes in character? (I really worry about that sometimes...) What about Gaius? Especially Gaius, because even though _I_ love him you may not be interested. I already know his story and I will not continue to make him a big part of the story if _you _don't want to know it. I won't force plot at you like that.

Once more, thank you all for sticking around for the last 7 chapters and I hope you will continue to enjoy this tangled tale.


	8. First in the Arms Race

Heulwen: Don't feel sorry for a review like that at all! Its reviews like that that really help me. My goal in life is to become an editor for a publishing company as well as a published writer, so everything, even the littlest bit is helpful, but an in depth review like that is awesome! It really helps me get a grasp on what people like, what they don't like, what's working in terms of the story. And about the mind games between Scarlet and the Legion, and specifically between she and Vulpes, even sometimes _I_ wonder what the hell will happen. I believe that's the funnest part about writing this story is that the end is a mystery to even me. Oh, and thank you for the Gaius love. He really is a complicated and special individual. In life I'm a shades of grey kind of person and even though the Legion are capable of horrible things they are still human. I want to touch on that, both the good and bad in this story.

NukaColaQueen: Thank you much. I hope to keep making it better and better!

Charbear1020: Thank you, once again for your lovely review. One of the best things a writer can hear is how their story has personally drawn in their reader.

And for all those that have alerted or favorited me you are all appreciated, too. Writers are nothing without their readers, even the silent ones.

Without further ado, I present chapter 8...

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Chapter VIII**

**First Place in the Arms Race**

He watched from a distance as she moved through the fort. It always amazed him how she could seem so untouched by what was around her. In Nipton she had been deaf and blind to the pain of the crucified men and now she ignored slaves like they didn't exist. It was a curious feat, mostly because he could tell she was the kind of woman who hated slavery, but if a stranger had been asked at that moment what he thought of her he would have said it didn't bother her either way. She didn't even show signs that she was catching any of the sideways glances that some of the other legionaries were giving her. Those glances were full of many things: disgust, hatred, shock, but also lust. There was no doubt that the Courier was a beautiful woman. By her actions it led him to believe that she was not aware of this. Most of the time he could not tell if her hair was gold or if it was red, and when the sun was high and hit at just the right angle he would have sworn that it was both. And who really had violet eyes? Yes, it was genetically possible, but it was so very rare. Who was she, this messenger, and why did Fate set her in the Legion's path?

Why did Fate set her in _his_ path?

Scarlet was not like any other woman he had ever met, including the other dissolute he had been forced to walk among when he was out in disguise. In many ways the women of the wasteland were all just as broken as Legion slaves. Some of them just fought the emptiness inside by trying to act tough, or paint themselves with pre-war beauty implements to hide their ugliness, and many constantly wore that snide expression of self-indulgence and greed as if the world was obligated to wait on their every need. She was none of those things. In fact, despite the bold flair for dramatics she was prone to show at times she preferred to wrap herself in a humble ambiguity. It was refreshing to see a women that was not only strong but down to earth. Yes, women were supposed to be lower on the hierarchy in the Legion, and from what he'd experienced in life, for a good reason, but they were boring. It didn't take any talent to get what you wanted from slaves, but from her…

Below him awaited a challenge that filled him with an excitement he had not felt for a long time. She would not just bow to him or the Legion, not easily. It would make the moment that she did that much sweeter, that much more victorious. He would not rip her strength from her, the Legion would need that, but he would tear away the ridiculous ideologies she'd been fed her entire life until she was seeing the world through their eyes. And it would be beautiful.

-X-

Gaius was a soldier, plain and simple, so when he had finally shown Scarlet everything there was to see about the Fort and told her the minimum she would need to know about each area he was happy to take her back. She thanked him with a smile as they began to make their way back up the incline to Caesar's tent. "That was most informational." She said. "I don't feel so lost now."

"Don't feel bad about getting lost. Just like any other unknown terrain it just takes time to get used to." He lifted his eyes and caught the form of Vulpes standing at the top waiting. "Well, this is where I leave you. From the looks of it I would surmise that you have something to talk about. He looks rather focused."

Scarlet followed his gaze, her body hesitating for just a second before continuing on. She had known he had been there and had probably watched her the entire time she had been with Gaius, but that didn't change the fact that being under his predatory stare was more than just overwhelming. "See you around."

When Gaius left her the weight of Vulpes' attention crashed upon her shoulders, constricted her chest with an unfamiliar and unpleasant pain. She had to force herself to take a deep breath as she approached him. By the way he was studying her she knew he must have Caesar's answer already and that knowledge washed over her in the form of panic. Those ten steps to him were the longest she had ever taken in her life and the entire time she could feel the thrumming of her heart.

Then he smiled. It was more of a smirk than an honest, light-hearted, friendly smile, but it was better than the icy displeasure that was his customary expression. In an instant the weight was lifted, and in its place that gentle warmth was returning. It began in her chest and radiated out throughout the rest of her body. It was anticipation, excitement, hope. It was all the things she was prone to feel in his presence, both frightening and wonderful. Gaius had tried to warn her to ignore it. For a while she thought that maybe she could. That had been before. Now all she wanted to do was close this space between them so she could examine the colors in his eyes while he spoke to her about her future – and hope to whatever God really existed that he never noticed.

_Because if he figures it out you're fucked._

"By that expression on your face I can assume that you're the bearer of good news for once?" She inquired. With that fantastic warmth flooding her veins her bravery was back and she felt confident that she could take on anything, including whatever answer he had for her.

"More than just good news, I hope." He replied. "After discussing the matter with Caesar he has decided to accept your terms and agrees that it would be most beneficial for both parties."

It was Scarlet's turn to smile. "That _is_ more than just good news. It's great news! Has he said when I am to begin?" That morning the thought of doing the Legion's dirty deeds had not been a pleasant one, but for the moment she was overcome with her victory of actually coming up with a plan that worked. She would consider everything else later. Right now was celebration time.

"In fact he wants you to return to him immediately for your first order, however, there is one other thing you should know."

"That is?"

"He has also instructed that you be accompanied by a member of the Legion to be your teacher. It is his way of honoring your wish to learn more about us. I have been given this job."

Scarlet's brain short-circuited. In one moment she felt many different emotions all at once, and almost every single one of them were contradicting each other. On one hand she was busting with joy that she would get to spend more time with the mysterious Legionary, perhaps even learn how to read him. On the other hand she wasn't much for having companions. She was a loner, and despite that she could get along well with people for a short period she had learned traveling with others became intense and stressful. Working with Vulpes was either going to turn out very well or explode into one big mess.

"Well… that's…" Finally she recovered and nodded her head, a soft smile curving her lips. "I am honored to have such a distinguished soldier at my side."

"Let us not keep Caesar waiting then. He is eager to get you on your way." Vulpes swept his arm to motion towards the entrance. In that moment he seemed delightful and charming. If she hadn't already seen the atrocities that he was capable of with her own eyes she would not have believed it. His ability to shift gears from hardened killer to charismatic gentleman was astounding. He was the leader of the Frumentarii after all, and she could see why he was good at his job. As the flap of the tent snapped closed behind them she wondered if that was something she should be worried about or not.

-X-

Caesar wanted them to go talk to the Boomers, who, like their name suggested, blew up anything and everyone who came within a certain radius of the air base they'd made their home. It wasn't the first time Scarlet had heard about them, in fact this wasn't the first time someone asked her to go talk to them on their behalf. Apparently Caesar and the NCR thought alike. When Ambassador Crocker had asked her to do the very same favor she had turned him down flat, not only because she had been busy trying to get to Benny at the time, but also because she wasn't a fan of the idea of being blown into fleshy little bits. Yet now Caesar was sitting there asking her to do it, and asking her in a tone so casual that he might have been wanting to borrow a cup of sugar.

She shifted her weight onto her hip, one arm crossed just below her chest as her hand held the elbow of her other arm. Her right hand drifted up thoughtfully to touch her lips as she considered the emperor. "How do you propose we do this? No one has _ever_ accomplished getting through to see them – at least no one who ever lived to tell about it."

"That is for you and Vulpes to decide. However, you _are_ a little luck charm it would seem. I have a good feeling you'll make it through." He was so damned sure of himself.

Her mouth twitched and she bit down on the urge to tell him that there was a big difference between a bullet to the head and an artillery shell dropped on one's ass. Instead she let the twitch melt into a smile and nodded. "Where there is a will there is a way. There is just something everyone else is missing. We will definitely find it."

"That's the spirit." Caesar seemed pleased with that answer. "Return when you have spoken to them about becoming allies. If they appear that they will be a problem for us dispose of them."

Scarlet's eyes flickered between Caesar and Vulpes at the last request. She hadn't even met the people yet and was already being asked to kill them if they resisted. Of course, what else should she have expected from a dictator. She didn't know if she could promise a thing like that.

"Is that going to be difficult for you?"

"If they're going to be unreasonable the only option would have to be to kill them, wouldn't it?" She answered. She supposed that was right. If the Boomers couldn't see some kind of logic or if they attacked then she and Vulpes would have to defend themselves. It would be a reluctant but not impossible decision. At the end of the day right and wrong didn't mean too much if you were dead.

-X-

"Goddamnit, I was hoping I wouldn't have to return to the Strip again this soon." Scarlet was fuming, her legs drawn up beneath her as they made the journey back to Cottronwood Cove. Lucullus' gaze flickered over her for a few counts at her sudden outburst and then back onto his task at hand. She gave a deep sigh as she rooted through her bag to find the slip of paper with Ambassador Crocker's "official request" written upon it. The NCR was a paper bureaucracy and insisted upon keeping everything documented, orderly, _annoying. _With a cry of victory she pulled out the folder and crumpled sheet. "Eureka!"

Vulpes was watching her with something akin to curiosity, but closer to what you might see in a biologist studying a wild creature in its natural habitat. Since he'd returned to his tent and packed his belongings for his long-term trip he'd fallen into his pensive silence again. However this time around Scarlet didn't feel as uncomfortable with them due to their familiarity. Actually having someone around that thought before he acted was refreshing, if not calming. It was much different than the panting, barking, drooling furface that usually accompanied her every move.

_Oh Rex, I hope you're doing all right_. She bit her lower lip in thought. When she had received the Mark from Vulpes she had decided to take Rex up to see Doctor Henry again, this time armed with a replacement brain and a request. At the time she didn't know how the meeting with the Legion was going to go so she asked if the dog could stay for an extended period of time, and at the end of said time be taken back to the King if she had not returned. The brain doc explained that if she wanted to wait until Rex was ready for full action to give about two to three weeks, which gave her plenty of time to return for him. It had only been about a week at this point and she was beginning to miss his wagging little butt more than she had anticipated. His absence though was a godsend for the moment, seeing as she didn't want to go traipsing in Boomer country with a rambunctious hound that might take off at the drop of a hat (or the sight of one).

Scarlet smoothed the crinkled paper flat and handed it to the Frumentarius. "It's a request from the NCR. It has to do with the Boomers. I believe this is something that needs to be dealt with."

He took the paper from her and read it, folded it back up, and handed it back. "So the NCR is interested in the Boomers, too. They're not stupid then. What do you propose we do about this problem?"

Good, he had seen it, too. There was hope for this partnership after all. "Well, you've probably already got enough spies working in and around the NCR, but considering the jobs they've been trying to get me to take I might be able to infiltrate a little differently. As much as they're trying to use me and my link to House they're also treating me like this magic pill that if they tolerate I'll give them some kind of super powers in my service."

"Hm. It is unfortunate for them, for I'm sure they'll find you a hard pill to swallow."

"Oh! _Clever_." It was a relief that he had some sense of humor. He would need it to work alongside her. Still smiling she continued her suggestion, "If I just head over to the Boomers and work this deal and the NCR finds out I've been over there – and they will, _nosy bastards_ – they might begin to think differently about me. It would be difficult to do any kind of productive work with them on my ass all the time, so I'll just let them think I'm helping them. I'll go talk to Crocker, tell him I changed my mind," she flicked the paper in her hand, "and we'll be on our merry way. Everyone's happy."

"Except maybe the Boomers and the NCR when they find out that you're lying to them." Vulpes pointed out.

"Who's going to tell them? You? Caesar? Hey, Lucullus, are you going to run over to the NCR and tell Crocker I'm a lying whore?" She tilted her head up at the man.

"I would never call you a liar." Cursor Lucullus said cheekily, obviously implying that while he would not call her a liar, whore was somewhat up for grabs.

"Oh you burn me with the whip of your words, ferryman!" She gripped her chest like she'd been stabbed in the heart.

"Very well, we shall return to the Strip and talk to the Ambassador." Vulpes agreed. He wanted to tell her that she thought like a Frumentarius, but thought it best to keep that to himself for the time being. There was no use in getting ahead of himself. Yet he would not ignore that she had a sharp mind and so far that sharp mind was serving the Legion well despite her continued assurances that she didn't know if she wanted to help them or not. _You play hard to get, Courier, but we both know where your heart resides._

-X-

Scarlet thought that Ambassador Crocker was going to fall over himself as he leapt to his feet and went about bidding the pair entrance to his office and exclaimed that they must, "please sit down!" Vulpes found the scene all rather amusing and attempted to cover his smirking sneer with the guise of a friendly smile. The Courier had become a celebrity for these people. Her harrowing journey after the miraculous resurrection was already becoming something of legend across the Mojave. The Courier was a heavenly saint he had heard some say, and maybe it was talk like that which gave the NCR hope that she was a messiah that could lead them to their salvation. If the Legionary had his way, Caesar's way, then the woman standing at his side would be working against Crocker and his men very soon.

Then they would see that she was no messiah, but rather a messenger, and her message was a very clear one. In a world that had turned upside down enough for a woman to survive a point blank bullet wound to the head and being buried alive anything was possible. The ground would quake from the profligates' trembling and Vulpes would savor the moment that the NCR saw their previous symbol of hope standing opposite of them.

"No, really, Ambassador," Scarlet said, and she had one hand lifted to indicate a no. "We will not be long, I just came to inform you that I have decided to go speak to the Boomers up at Nellis."

Crocker's attention was full now. "I thought you said that you would prefer not to do anything so dangerous."

"Well, that was a month ago and since then I've found myself capable of many things I once believed impossible. I know my limits and I would like to at least try to make contact with them. I felt that you deserved to know my intentions before I just up and headed out that way."

"You have the Republic's thanks." Ambassador Crocker said. "If we can implement the Boomer's artillery with our troops then we have drastically improved our chances of finally driving the Legion out of the Mojave. And as our strength grows we should be able to follow them into their own lands and begin to wipe them out for good. You have no idea how important this is going to be for not only us, but the good people of the wasteland."

The ex-Courier reached out her hand to shake Crocker's, "then I believe I should get to work. The sooner I get to Nellis and begin to negotiate on the Republic's behalf then the sooner we can introduce those ignorant savages to some real _civilization_."

"My dear, have I told you I like your style?"

"You have now." She cracked a sly smile before withdrawing her hand back to her side and turning towards the door. "Until we meet again, Ambassador."

* * *

Manipulation, thy name is Scarlet.

**Next Chapter: Up In the Air** - As difficult as getting into Nellis is going to be its gaining the inhabitants' trust that will take everything in Scarlet and Vulpes' arsenal. (The beginning of a 3-4 chapter arch dealing with the Boomers.)

As always, review.


	9. Up in the Air

FalloutKitten: You know, that's an interesting question! I actually don't know. I had never thought about the chance of that to tell you the truth. I have a few possible things planned for Gaius, but they're all very vague so anything is possible at this point.

Into Space: Thanks, I try! I love Vulpes because of his intensity, which is both subtle and intimidating. That kind of power should be scary. ^.^

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Chapter IX**

**Up in the Air**

What was it with people and their insistence on having caps before they did anything? People couldn't talk anymore without having caps shoved in their face. Human decency or generosity didn't mean anything to these people. The man they had found idling about on the road to Nellis was no different. Scarlet and Vulpes had almost given him a heart attack when they came into view, but the best cure for a scare was sucking some poor travelers out of their money. He immediately went into a rant about how dangerous passage through the area was. "Its those Boomers," he told them, "firing away at anything comes close. Makes it hard to salvage anything in the area." He then said that for 300 caps he'd give them some tips that might possibly get them further if that was their wish.

Scarlet withheld the urge to tell him there might be some caps on the bottom of her boot if he'd just bend over and allow her to pay him his dues. Before she got a chance to come up with something of equal sass that wouldn't ruin any chance of getting information out of him Vulpes was already pulling out a bag from his things and passing them over. "We'll be back for 600 caps when we're finished." He told the prospector, apparently deciding to take that deal the man had offered about anyone that made it being given double what they'd paid. She had a feeling from that offer that he'd made it many times and had never had anyone come back asking for their money. It made her nervous to try to use his tactics.

They said goodbye and continued to walk. She waited until they were out of hearing range to speak again. "What do you think about that?" Vulpes was the one who had taken the slip of paper the prospector had hurriedly jotted down his tips on, probably because he had been the one of pay for them. Scarlet didn't care. He was the one with the mind for strategy so she would have just given it up to him anyway.

It took him a full ten seconds to reply, his eyes still moving over the words on the paper. She waited patiently for him to complete his analysis. "The instructions seem sound. The only problem is that we're only going to have one chance at this." He handed her the paper and let her read it for herself. Apparently success all came down to timing, which would explain why so many people had failed to return. Sometimes timing was trial and error and in a situation as explosive as the one with the Boomers, quite literally, you could not afford any error.

"Well, technically we have two tries. If we don't go together then if something happens to one of us the other can learn from the mistakes."

Vulpes considered this. Scarlet was very important to Caesar and would probably be none too pleased to find out she had died, even more so that Vulpes had just let her walk right into her demise without so much as attempting to keep her out of danger. He hadn't been sent as her guard, he'd been sent as a teacher and an observer, but it didn't take an idiot to understand that she had to stay alive. Regardless of that she was right. The Legion needed to ally themselves with a group as armed as the Boomers and to do that they had to find a way inside even if that meant sacrificing something. He stood up from the position they had crouched into and began to move forward. "If I get there follow exactly in the way that I do it. Watch carefully."

Scarlet's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. "I—uh—" She realized she was touching him. He felt the unease all the way down to her fingers. For a moment it seemed her mind was in silent deliberation as to the decision to release him or not. Finally she pulled her hand away. "I'll go. There's no need for someone like you to go."

"Someone like me?" He asked. He couldn't tell if she was concerned or if she was somehow insulting him, implying that he couldn't make it.

"Yeah, someone _important_." She told him. "Listen, I'm one thing. I'm already living on borrowed time here." Her index finger motioned to the scar he knew was hidden beneath her bandanna. "You're smart and you're strong. You do something that although terrible to some is amazing. To the Legion you're a valuable asset. I can't just let you go down there. I should go. I'm small and fast. I have the best chance of making it and persuading them to stop their bombardment for you to join me."

His eyes flickered across her face as she spoke, reading all the minute signals in her face and the tones in her words. "You're trying to use flattery to convince me to not do something dangerous." He finally told her. Here would have been her perfect chance to kill him, or try to. Inside he knew that all the men and women he had killed were probably rooting for her to let him go, but destiny seemingly had other plans.

"Its not flattery if its true. Don't argue with me. Please stay here." She was pleading for him to stay safely back. He did not understand why. He was for the most part a stranger to her, a stranger she had met with blood on his hands. Any other person in her position would have done everything in her power to bring justice, or at least the profligates' version of justice, to him. She was not. "Plus, I need someone I can trust is capable to pull my broken body back if I survive."

She was a bad liar. She was trying to protect him. He didn't need her protection, but he would respect her wishes. "If you think that is best, then I will stay back and watch." He nodded his head. "Although I do not understand why you would care if a savage like _me_ died."

Scarlet's eyebrow lifted. "What?"

"Back in Crocker's office you called the Legion savages."

"Yeah, but I said that for his benefit." Her face scrunched up into confusion, possibly hurt. Then she spoke his name, which she rarely did. Perhaps she was intimidated by him, or was afraid that addressing him by name would invoke something powerful and dangerous. "Vulpes, I don't think you're a savage at all." He noticed she said she didn't think that _he_ was a savage.

_Verdict still out on the rest of the Legion, my dear?_ He thought, studying her reaction to his words. Not that it mattered what she thought about the rest of the Legion. He was beginning to believe that she didn't need to have an opinion on them. She was emotional; Caesar was right. Still, he would do well to completely assimilate her. His vision of the morale crushing savior-turned-destroyer in terms of the NCR wasn't complete if she didn't fully embrace them. Also it would make for a wonderful addition to his résumé. "Very well. Let us get on with this before it gets dark. It would be a shame for you to get blown up because you tripped over a board you couldn't see in the dark."

-X-

Scarlet had never felt like a bigger idiot in her entire life. The agony that lanced through her leg seemed to agree. She leaned back against the wall in the only remaining corner of one of the destroyed buildings and let out a pained wail. Even as the missiles fell around her she was more frustrated and angry with herself than afraid. She had claimed to be faster, had promised to get the job done, and here she was camped out only yards from safety, but unable to complete it. For her credit she had made it most of the way and if she had timed that last run just right instead of getting ahead of herself and thinking she could make a mad dash for the finish line she would have had it.

When the firing died down – she guessed the Boomers thought they'd killed her – she heard Vulpes' distant voice. She only caught the tail end of it through the howling wind, but it caused panic to flood through her. "—Coming to get you. Hold on."

Goddamnit, he was going to get himself killed! Scarlet had to ask herself for what? It wasn't like he actually cared about her safety, because she doubted if he had any emotions at all. Most likely the Legion stripped you of those as well when you went through training. He was coming to rescue her on the ideal that she was important to Caesar, therefore important to him because of his duty to progress the Legion further. She should hate him for that, hate him for being worth nothing more than a tool, but she couldn't make herself feel anything but concern. He was still a human being and deserved to live just like anyone else, even if he didn't always give others that chance.

At first she couldn't see him, but it was hard to see anything from the position she was in, and there was no way that she could move and make it easier. Even trying to shift an inch over made her entire body feel like it was going to shatter into pieces. She fisted her hands into tense little balls when she heard the missiles again. Each explosion made her heart clench that much tighter in her chest. It seemed like forever until she finally saw him. For a man his size he was _agile._ He jumped over a large pile of rubble and gripped the wooden beam that was still there, using it and his momentum to slide him inside. Twisting his body he was able to immediately position himself so he landed on the ground next to her, his back against the wall at her side. So surprised by his maneuverability she could only form a few words, "are… are you okay?" That was perhaps the sexiest thing she'd ever seen in her life. She'd seen men in combat before, and she'd seen men run, but she had never seen one so graceful and quick.

Vulpes wasn't able to hide the frown that presented itself. She was so backwards. "I should be the one asking that of you."

"Um, right." She took a deep breath. "My leg's fucked up, but I don't think it's broken. The pain just isn't allowing me to stand very well, and there might be minor muscle damage."

He leaned down and rolled up her pant's leg to take a look at her injury. The softest touches of his fingers hurt and she cursed them. He was touching her and she couldn't enjoy it. Then again if she hadn't been injured in the first place he wouldn't have been touching her at all so she didn't really know how to feel about that. She cried out again as he tested it further. Sparkles of white and black glittered in front of her eyes forcing her to grab his hand. "Stop!"

"Its all right." He was trying to sound reassuring, but the natural tone of his voice wasn't helping him sound gentle.

"No its not, I feel like I'm going to pass out. And then that makes me feel stupid because it's just a small wound on my leg." She leaned back against the wall and groaned in frustration. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you." After watching the speed and ease he had made it to her, and without any serious injuries, she had realized she had made a serious underestimate of him.

"Then that is a lesson learned."

Suddenly another crashing explosion came. It was very close. Whoever was firing at them was good at what they did. If they made it out of this Scarlet would have to find him and tell him so. There were no hard feelings for the attacks aimed at them; she knew that in the wasteland you did what you had to do to protect yourself and those that you cared for. The Boomers were doing just that. It didn't change the fact she could feel the ground shaking and fear shoot through her. Her hand had found the sleeve of Vulpes' shirt and was gripping it tightly.

"They know we're here now." He said, chancing a look around the corner toward the gate. "I think they saw me come in here. We don't have very long until they can finally lock onto us. It isn't far until the safe point. If we can make it passed there they can't fire anymore lest they hit their own base. We'll have to move quickly, can you endure the pain until we get there?" He showed no signs of noticing her grasp, and if he did he didn't seem to care.

"I think I can. I'll have to. It would suck to be so close and then die just because I didn't try. If I fall just leave me."

"I'll make sure you won't fall."

The confidence in his voice wiped away her fear. There was no room for doubt in his tone. Like the strength she found to walk into Cottonwood Cove or the challenge that was presented to escape the bunker beneath the Fort she was finding him a symbol of assurance once again. She wondered if he was aware that he had that kind of power over people, or at least over her.

Another missile came screaming out of the sky and he grabbed her against his chest as the ground nearby tore apart, sending debris flying everywhere. It rained over them, sharps bits of rock and metal tearing at their clothes, any exposed skin. When Vulpes pulled back she could see a line of blood across his cheek where he'd been cut. "I think the time is now, before he has a chance to fire again."

She nodded. They would probably not survive another blast. A little more to the left and the man with the missiles would get them. Vulpes pulled her to her feet and supported her at his side. Without any warning they swung around the wall and started for safety. The pain screamed up her leg, threatening to down her within the first few steps, but Scarlet gritted her teeth. She'd been through much worse and wasn't going to let this bring her to failure. She stumbled but stayed upright, and before she knew it they were safe. Her fingers wrapped around the chain link fence and she could breathe.

He continued to support her as they walked, one arm around her waist. Between him and the fence she only had minor difficulty in moving forward. "What happens when we get to the gate? What if they won't let us inside?" She tilted her head to look at his face.

Vulpes was deep in thought and didn't look at her when he spoke. "I believe that would constitute being unreasonable. It is preferable to become allies, but if they will not work with us they are not necessary to use their weaponry."

"You! Stop!" They had arrived at the gate and on the other side a man was standing there with a gun leveled on them. "How the hell did you get over here?"

"We ran." Vulpes replied to the man. "It is not that hard."

"But nobody is that fast!"

Scarlet felt the tug of a smile on her lips. Vulpes was. He was that fast. She realized the swelling in her chest was pride. Even though she didn't know him well and they'd only worked together a couple times she was glad that he was the one who was with her. Legion or not he was fantastic.

"Are you going to let us in or not?" Vulpes growled. The danger in his tone made his impatience in this matter evident. "If you didn't notice my companion is injured."

The guard looked down at Scarlet's bloody leg and swallowed. Actually seeing his handiwork must have been new for him because his expression melted into sickness. "I have to wait until our Master-At-Arms arrives. I can't make that decision but she can."

So they waited. It only took a few minutes for them to see the figure hurrying through the twilight, a rifle slung across her back. "Let them in, Justin." She told the guard. "Pearl wants to speak with them."

As the guard swung the gate open Vulpes bent and swept Scarlet up into his arms. The movement was so surprising she gave a startled gasp. Her body weight off her injured leg felt wonderful though as well as how warm his body felt against hers. As he carried her toward Pearl's barracks she tried to make her mind forget exactly who he was and that any sign of compassion was out of necessity for her safety. Her initial admiration and intrigue with him was growing into something much stronger. Something that she was afraid of because if she let it get out of control it would spell certain doom for her. Regardless she could not just ignore it, for despite the dangers he presented he also made her feel safe. She hadn't felt that in such a long time. So for the moment she allowed him to shield her; she would deal with reality later.

-X-

To say that Scarlet's injury put a damper on things was an understatement. Vulpes contained his anger, but barely. The only thing that kept it in check was his uncertainty at whom he was more angry with, the Boomers for being so damned Xenophobic or Scarlet for not listening to him. Still, her attempts at reason dealing with the choices that led to her injury were not completely stupid. There was a bit of logic in what she had suggested, her going first, and it was only by negative chance that she had received the wound on her leg that had stopped her so close to victory. It was further than anyone else had ever made it.

The Master-At-Arms, who they were told was the leader of Security and the like around Nellis, was a woman named Raquel. She waited outside while the two were escorted inside the Elder's homestead. Pearl greeted them immediately, with much more warmth than her younger Boomer counterparts. "My dear, I'm sorry about your leg." She told Scarlet and motioned to Vulpes to bring her over to her couch. "Set her down. The two of you are safe now."

Vulpes did as Pearl requested. It was hard to believe their leader was this friendly when the underlings were not. "If it is okay I will attend to her wound while we speak."

Pearl had no objections to this, apologizing once more for the less than positive welcome they had received. "I have waited five long years for an outsider to come and visit. Until now no one has."

"If you've wanted to meet people from the outside world then why all the bombs?" Scarlet inquired. A small hiss escaped her lips as Vulpes worked to disinfect the wound with what she had in her bag. He tried to ignore many of her medical supplies with minimal disgust. She had a section devoted to just stimpaks and a good amount of med-x and other such drugs. She would have to learn to do without once she joined with the Legion.

"Because, child," Pearl told her, a soft intelligence in her voice, "as much as we would like to welcome everyone we realize that the Wasteland is a harsh place. Our seclusion has kept us safe all these years. However, the changing world is becoming a more dangerous place. We watch as the lights came on and robots began to patrol the area. We must learn to adapt and learn what is going on or we will be swept away by it. Your presence is welcome here. You two are a little piece of the outside world. I hope the others can learn from you and see that not all outsiders are to be made targets."

"Is there anything that we can do to help your people to show them that we can be trusted?" Scarlet asked. Vulpes let her do the talking. He was more than able to set people at ease, but being a woman Scarlet had a better chance at showing a softer side that people let their guard down to.

"Well, we recently have had some trouble down at the generator room. Some ants have taken up residence and knocked out some of our power. Talk to Raquel about it, because she knows much more about it than I do. If you have any medical knowledge our doctor might welcome you. Our engineer, Loyal, might also have a job for you."

"We can get right on it."

Vulpes completed bandaging Scarlet's leg. At the end he tugged it just a little harder than necessary as he secured it, grabbing her attention. "After a good night's sleep. I think you need to stay off your leg and rest for tonight." He looked at the Boomer's Elder, "is there a place we can sleep for the night?"

"You might find one of the tents empty. They already have cots in them so it would be nothing to make yourself comfortable. Or I could set the two of you up in the perspective women or men's barracks if you don't mind being split up."

Scarlet opened her mouth, but once more Vulpes took control of the situation. "I would prefer we stay together. I want to look after her injury."

Pearl nodded. "Are you her bodyguard?"

"No, I am not. We're just traveling companions." He rose to his feet and reached down to help Scarlet. At first she wobbled, but his bandage was snug and comfortable, allowing it to help relieve some pain.

Pearl showed them out and handed them over to Raquel. "Sleep well."

-X-

Raquel guided them to one of the empty tents Pearl had told them about, and left them with a warning not to abuse the privilege they were given by being allowed to not only stay at Nellis, but to wander freely as if they belonged. It was going to be hard to earn the Boomers' trust it would seem. Scarlet found the corner cot and stretched out, issuing a happy sigh of comfort. "I think we have a good chance here."

Vulpes nodded. "It seems that this Pearl has high hopes for us outsiders. With her backing us I think you're right. Although, I am concerned about the Master-At-Arms. She will be watching us so we should be careful what we say and do."

"I don't plan on doing anything bad, so I think we're good to go. We'll just need time. Of course, we haven't met any of the others yet." She bit her lip nervously, wondering if everyone was going to be as difficult as Raquel or if they'd follow Pearl's lead and give them a chance.

"Since we've been given permission to explore I also suggest we look around for anything useful, subtlety. We can see if they're going to be worth all this trouble or not." Vulpes hated to waste his time, and with a situation as complicated as this he didn't want to get to the end and then realize that these people weren't going to even be that great of an aid to the Legion. Scarlet might have been okay with sticking around just to help out and gain her own allies, but Vulpes was not. Their orders had been clear. If they would be of no use they would leave, report back to Caesar and move on to their next objective.

Scarlet's eyes started to flutter. The exhaustion and pain was beginning to take its toll on her. He realized his annoyance with her had almost disappeared. "Get some sleep." He told her. "We will find Raquel in the morning and take care of their bug problem."

"Mm'kay." She mumbled. One of her arms was thrown over her face and her golden hair had nearly worked itself out of its ponytail, bits of it sticking up in weird places. "Don't… don't forget… uhm… bug spray." She was almost gone, sleep heavy in her voice and obviously weighing down any coherent thoughts. He said nothing more to her and let her rest. It was only a few minutes later he heard her breathing slow, indicating she was finally asleep.

It would take Vulpes a lot longer to find sleep. He lay in the cot closest to the door, mind a tangled mess of information and options. He thought of the Boomers, of the Legion, and of Scarlet and the games they played with each other. She tried to hide her attraction for him, and sometimes she did very well, but he was a master at reading people. When he had picked her up it had not only been because it was the fastest way to get her to Pearl's but because he knew that it would have a massive effect on her. Somewhere inside he knew there was a switch that was dangerously close to being flicked. He would draw Scarlet into the Legion, yet his reason was becoming less about Caesar's wish and more about his own desire to dominate and control her destiny. Caesar could conquer Hoover Dam, overrun Vegas, but Vulpes Inculta would have the sweetest conquest.

* * *

I hadn't intended for Vulpes to begin to voice, even mentally, his desire to own the Courier, but it seemed like a right spot to do it, and Gaius had mentioned his comment about wanting to make her a slave earlier. Speaking of Gaius, since FalloutKitten mentioned it I thought I'd ask, what does everyone else think about what would happen if the three of them got into a triangle of sorts? The thought actually scares me... There's a part of me that can't actually imagine anyone being dumb enough to challenge Vulpes once he makes it obvious he's set his sights on her. Maybe that's just _me_. I sure as hell wouldn't want to fight the guy.

**Next Chapter**: More Boomer action. Some exploding ants. Some very sick people. And possibly something cuddly (haven't decided on this last bit yet).


	10. You Should Get Out More

I'm really sorry this is late, but this chapter was a bitch to write at times! I ended up having to scrap it and rewrite the whole thing this morning. I hope it was worth the wait.

Vermin-lord: I'm glad you're liking it! I'm also surprised at the lack of detailed Legion stories on here. I hope more people begin to write about them soon.

**

* * *

Chapter X**

**You Should Get Out More**

The generator building was located in what Scarlet liked to call "ass nowhere." Nellis Air Base wasn't that big when you compared it to the sprawl of New Vegas or the towering maze of Fortification Hill. She was sure that it only seemed a great distance because of the pain in her leg. She was glad that it had not gotten any worse since yesterday, much to the thanks of Vulpes and his talented handiwork. The Legion no doubt saw lots of wounds which had made him adept at patching up such things as sore legs as well as being good at subterfuge and making her uncomfortable. Of course the later might be in her head, but she could never tell how much he did on purpose and how much it was her own mind that was messing with her. Her only complaint had been stiffness when she had first awakened, which had worked itself out after a short walk around the main living areas after breakfast.

The walk had been Vulpes' suggestion, stating that it was pointless to go ahead with the ant extermination if all she could do was hobble. Determined to get the show on the road Scarlet had limbered up and was confident that even with her limp she would be able to squash a few nuisance arthropods. She was most excited about seeing what Raquel had warned them about – the exploding part. Never had she witnessed an exploding ant and she wanted to see it. She knew it was potentially dangerous, but if she was careful and didn't press her luck then she would get a once in a lifetime show.

She leaned against the doorframe as she unlocked the generator room door and gave a nod at Vulpes. The silence that greeted them as they entered was an unpleasant one, accompanied by the acrid smell of insects and the remnants of burnt smoke most likely left behind from an explosion. The building was pitch black save for a few emergency lights here and there and they were probably running on some kind of back-up power. "God forbid people put _windows_ in places like this." Scarlet muttered to herself as she turned on her pip boy light. Its dim glow illuminated the body of one of the Boomers, slumped in the doorway just ahead of them. No one had mentioned that people had died, only that a few had been injured and sent to the Doctor on the base. "Death by ant, I guess there's worse ways to go."

Vulpes knelt to examine the body, looking for anything that might be useful. There were signs of mastication, but they had been post mortem. "It seems he was killed in an explosion." He told her, lifting his eyes from the mangled corpse.

"Well, that makes me feel a little better about him." She said, although the tone in her voice indicated it was still upsetting to her. "I would hate to be some ant's chew toy while _alive._"

"Indeed." Vulpes didn't know whether to agree or not. To his surprise Scarlet was turning out to be more of a morbid individual than he had expected. Her morbidity was quirky and outlandish, but it was still there. Mostly she would make negative and dark comments surrounding her own death, or potential ways of death since, obviously, she still remained among the living. He wondered if her obsession with her mortality stemmed from being shot in the head and surviving. Then again maybe the woman standing before him wasn't really the woman who had been shot. Perhaps she was more of a remnant than a person and that was why she always seemed two steps from death but never quite made it, because you couldn't kill something that was already dead. _Now you're starting to sound like her – or worse: Gaius._

A skittering across the metal flooring grabbed their attention, thankfully pulling Vulpes' mind away from the superstitious thoughts floating around in his brain. Both he and the Courier lifted their gaze to an ant that was crawling their way. Scarlet's eyes glittered mischievously and he saw her hand reach for a laser pistol that was tucked into the holster at her side. _No, she's always two steps away from death because apparently she has a death wish!_ From the angle that he was crouched on the floor only he could see the missiles lined up nearby the ant, missiles that would surely explode if the ant did, and would if she fired at it with that weapon. He quickly stood, blocking her shot, and allowing him to take his own all at the same time.

When the ant crumpled over, antennae giving one last twitch before they stilled forever, Vulpes turned on her and reached for the laser pistol. "Did you not hear what she told us about laser weapons?" He growled, frustrated that she ducked away from him and shielded the gun at her side.

"Yeah, I did. That's _why_ I brought it." For a moment she almost had the look of a pouty child and he strongly considered turning her over and giving her a spanking for insubordination. In certain circles that might have sounded like something pleasant but he would make sure it wasn't so she would understand that she was being punished and not to act half her age again.

"Here I was hoping that you had been temporarily deaf, not _dumb_." The only thing missing from his sarcastic statement was the hand palming his face. Vulpes didn't need to make a lot of unnecessary body movement though to get his point across when the tone of his voice did it perfectly well for him.

Scarlet frowned. "How many chances am I going to get to see one of these little bastards explode? Not many! I just want _one_!"

Was she for real? "Fine." He relented. He was not going to have an argument over something as asinine and trivial as gunpowder fueled exploding ants. "Just don't do it up here. If you didn't notice there are missiles everywhere." There were times when he could clearly see the potential that Caesar had told him about as well as the bold woman that had waltzed straight up to him in Nipton and made him _laugh_. Then there were times like these where he had to keep reminding himself that this was all for the Legion and that he had to not throttle her in her moments of stupidity in the meantime.

-X-

It was the last one; Scarlet was sure of it. Vulpes had already put Loyal's sonic emitter on top of the mound and activated it, thus killing all the ants inside it in the process. Even though she didn't care for robots at all she did like gadgets, especially if they were really neat and were useful enough to make her job easier. Scarlet had been so excited to see it in action that she had forgotten about her desire to see one of the ants explode. On their way back to turn the two lower generators back on she spotted it, a lone survivor they had missed when coming in and it reminded her of that desire once more. A grin broke out on her face as she motioned for Vulpes to put his weapon down. "This one is definitely mine." She told him, and then added with a sneer, "And there are no _missiles_ around to ruin this."

The ant appeared to be lost as it roamed back and forth with no seeming destination. Scarlet lifted her laser pistol and followed its movements with the sights, intent on savoring each moment this kill would offer. She wanted to stamp the memory of the exploding ant into her brain. She would also wait as long as she had to for the moment to be right and conditions were optimal for exploding ant viewing capabilities.

"This is ridiculous." Vulpes said dryly, arms crossed over his chest in impatience. "Just kill it already."

Scarlet glared at him. "Hey, I don't give you shit when you go off crucifying people! Let me have my fun!"

Vulpes still appeared displeased, but did not say another word. He was too busy thinking about her flippancy concerning the act of crucifixion.

Finally she took the shot. It all happened very quickly, pieces of giant ant flying up into the air and then raining back down like a macabre insectoid fountain. Scarlet gave a whooping cry of joy and threw her arm up in the air. "Did you_ see_ the way its leg just—" She made a motion with her lifted hand to indicate the trajectory of its path. "Where did it go anyway? Oh! There it is, way up there!" Her laughter was more of a wicked cackle and Vulpes found it hard not to at least smile.

They were just ants, but something about her joy at their complete destruction stirred something inside him. Curiosity yes, but something else, something he couldn't quite put his finger on at the moment. He knew if she could get over her silly misconceptions about society and what she'd been told was right and wrong then she would happily find her place within the Legion. He could already tell she enjoyed some of the darker things, but held herself back because of her upbringing. Her love for combat as well as the more eccentric forms of death could be put to good use. If… If she could just let go.

"Are you satisfied now?" Vulpes inquired. All traces of annoyance had left him and the familiar low and sensual cadence was back in his voice.

"Yes I am. It almost makes me want to go find some ants and feed them gunpowder!" Much to his appreciation she decided to turn the generators on instead. On their way back up they flicked the main power switch and the lights began to hum to life. Almost immediately the combat-happy smile was gone, replaced by a warmer version, the smile of someone who had done a job and done it well. Once more Vulpes wondered what went on inside that head of hers. Perhaps one day he'd see the full picture but for now Scarlet was a woman of many faces, each face with a different personality that switched constantly. At least she kept him on his toes so he could never complain about being bored.

-X-

The Master-at-Arms did not even try to hide her shock when the two of them came marching back over to tell her that their ant problem was gone. They had lost a few good men to those ants and might be losing more. The idea that these two strangers just waltzed in and killed them all with hardly a scratch on them was an amazing one. "Perhaps I was wrong about you." She admitted. Underneath that seeming appreciation however lurked hints of something else. Raquel seemed not as happy about it all as Scarlet had originally thought she would be and when she thought about it she realized what the problem was. The three Boomers had been critically injured and were now in the medical building and the fact that she and Vulpes fixed the problem so easily and their own people had so much trouble was likely a sore topic.

"We really couldn't have done it without Loyal though." Scarlet told her, hoping to diffuse any potential of a future problem. Their intention had not been to swoop in and steal the glory from others. That would undermine their real goal, which was to get the Boomers to like them. "He gave us this device that really did the work for us."

"I'm glad that thing worked then." Raquel said. Her face softened just a little, as if considering the outsider's words.

"I feel really bad about your wounded people," Scarlet continued, tentatively. "Do you think that your doctor would mind if I popped in and had a look? I have a little bit of medicinal knowledge and could maybe give a hand."

Raquel nodded and directed them towards the medical building with an unsure look on her face. They might have done them a favor, but the thought of any savage treating their wounded left a sour taste in her mouth. Hopefully they would continue to prove their use, prove her wrong. If they didn't then three men's lives were at stake. "I'm sure Argyll will appreciate the help."

As they walked over she caught Vulpes studying her with great consideration. Upon being noticed he spoke up. "I didn't know that you knew anything about medicine." It would indeed be hard to peg with the amount of unchecked wounds Scarlet received on an almost daily basis. Still she continued to surprise him and prove that he had good taste when it came to personal interests.

Scarlet looked uncomfortable for a moment, her eyes drifting away from him and towards their destination. "Well, I know a little. I'm by no means an expert, but I know just enough to possibly help out depending upon where their doctor stands in his training."

"Where did you learn it?" It was a decent question to ask. She had been a mere courier when the head of the chairmen had struck her down. The answer as to why she would be working such a basic job when she had some kind of useful talent had to have been an interesting one.

She began to wring her hands before taking a deep breath and answering, albeit reluctantly. "My mother. She was a nurse – well, more like a medic. Before… " _He'll come back soon, you'll see, and then everything will be fine again._ Scarlet shook her head to dislodge the voice in her head. Why did he have to ask about this? "When I was younger she taught me a lot about taking care of wounds and trained me about medicinal components. Other than that I'm fairly useless, but where I can't treat I can sometimes tell what's _wrong_ with someone where others can't. It must be a gift she passed on because she could look at you and tell you whether you had a cold or cancer."

"That is most surprising. You would think someone trained in that kind of field would take better care of themselves."

Scarlet tried to ignored his underhanded shot at how she took care of herself. In a way it wasn't any of his business whether she did or not. She had managed to survive so far and was convinced she could continue to do so without a problem. Still, that mocking tone drove deep into her brain and she had to say _something_. "Well, sorry I prefer to wait and have a _real_ doctor take a look at me instead of poking around myself."

"If you find yourself with that lack of confidence then why are you going to help these men?"

"Listen," she said, suddenly stopping and turning to look at him, "I understand that you're probably trying to learn everything you can about me, and maybe you're even trying to make conversation, but this is not the topic to do it on. I really don't want to talk about it."

"Perhaps that's why you should." Obviously there was something very upsetting connected to either her history with medicine or her mother.

"Excuse me?" She snapped, "Who died and made you Doctor Fox Psychiatrist all of a sudden?"

"It just seems to me that you have a few issues that you need to work out. You could have a usable talent that you are wasting because of some kind of emotional trauma."

"I—I don't have to listen to this." She stammered. "Yes, I have issues, oh I have _plenty_ of issues, but nowhere does it say you have any right to subscribe to them, do you understand me?" The venom in her tone was as sharp and dangerous as a cazedor sting. "Its called privacy. I didn't want to have to spell this out for you, but it's not any of your business. So I would appreciate it if you left me alone, i.e. shut up!" Without waiting for his reaction, not that she cared, she turned back around and continued to the medical barracks.

Vulpes watched her go, unsure if he should be angry at her speaking to him that way or intrigued by it.

-X-

If Scarlet was still upset there was no sign of it as she began to examine Doc Argyll's patients. The Frumentarius let her work in peace, choosing to observe her from afar from a table that was set up near the front. He had never seen her so focused before, not even in combat. She worked as if the rest of the world had disappeared around her, leaving only her and the man she was working on. Her temporary vulnerability allowed him to study her more closely than allowed to before due to her constant shield she put up. He was noticing little things now, like how she had a habit of biting her bottom lip when she was worried or something didn't make sense with her. She would tilt her head as she thought, one finger tapping against her lips until she had made a decision, and then she would pull out a small pocket notebook and jot a few things down. The most interesting thing of all was how he could tell she _liked_ taking care of people. Even more he wondered why she had been driven away from some kind of medical career.

After nearly an hour of time spent between all three patients she returned to the doctor. "I was able to help one of them out a little more. He was not as severe as the other two. Unless there are any complications he should recover quite well. The other two, I'm sorry but their injuries are well above my abilities." She watched as the man's face fell and added, "_However!_ I do know someone who is an amazing doctor and I think that I will be able to get her to come and take a look at them. If they can be saved I know she'll be able to do it."

Argyll looked relieved and thankful. "If Pearl will let your doctor come she is more than welcome here. I just want these men back on their feet again."

Scarlet was almost bouncing with energy. "All right! That's a plan then. I'll head over and check with Pearl and then be on my way. Freeside isn't that far from here, but it will take until tonight to get there. That means we won't be able to get back until tomorrow at noon or so, but I promise we'll be back."

The two shook hands and Vulpes stood in preparation to leave. When she turned and caught him in her sights the smile on her face faltered. She was still angry after all, wasn't she? Then the smile returned, but without as much power as before. Once they were alone and headed to Pearl's Barracks she gave a small sigh, "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I'm not ready to talk about that part of my life, okay? I don't know you well enough for that."

"It is understandable. I should not have pried into your personal business." He told her.

"Are you apologizing to me?" Her light laugh would have been mocking if it weren't for the soft expression on her face, that look of surprise. "Sorry, its just I would have never thought I'd hear the words 'I'm sorry' come out of a Legion soldier's mouth."

"Even a Legion soldier should know when it is strategically sound to keep one's mouth shut."

-X-

Although Vulpes had been to the Strip countless times before he had never dallied in the outer portion called "Freeside." The conditions were deplorable and the people were always in varying states of poverty or addiction, both diseases with difficult cures. Scarlet, however, seemed very familiar with the areas and walked happily through. They passed a group of children chasing a giant rat through the street, all laughing and shouting. "You'll get him one day!" Scarlet called to them, her own laugh joining with theirs. Her eyes sparkled with a light-heartedness he had rarely seen. One of the kids raised a hand to wave at her before running to catch up with his friends.

"You seem well-known." Vulpes observed.

"I did a lot of work in the Freeside areas before I made it through into the Strip. When I first arrived I didn't have a lot of caps to my name so I did odd jobs for just about everyone. And whoever I did work for usually had me talking to or interacting with everyone else so I guess I do know just about everyone in Freeside – except the Van Graffs. They're dealers in laser weapons, but I hear they're fucking psychopaths. I didn't really want to deal with that sort of thing so I steered clear."

"What kind of jobs did you do?" He asked.

"Ask me again later, when I'm finished with this sneak attack." Mischief danced merrily in her eyes as she took off towards someone. He watched her weave her way through a few people before grabbing a young doctor with a mohawk into a squeezing hug.

It was then he noticed where she had taken him. They looked to be inside an old fort. At the front of the closed in area was a sandbag partition complete with a few guards. There were other guards and people in lab coats milled around the surrounding area, which was full of tents and supplies. On many of their coats he caught a familiar marking: the Followers of the Apocalypse.

"Julie!" Scarlet cried.

"Scarlet, you're back. I wondered where you had gone. I haven't seen or heard anything about you since you left with Rex." The black haired doctor said.

Vulpes followed Scarlet's path through the crowd and walked up beside her, but stayed silent so she could conduct her business.

"I know. I'm sorry. I have some things for you, but they're back at the Lucky 38. If I had known I'd be stopping by I would have brought them."

The Doctor named Julie gave her a questioning look, brows furrowed. "If you're not here to drop off supplies then why are you here? I mean, I'm not saying you can't just drop by I'm just confused."

Scarlet waved a hand. "Don't worry. It's fine. I'm actually here for more of a personal favor." She looked around to make sure no one else was listening and then leaned forward to speak softly, "I made my way all the way to Nellis and met the Boomers."

Julie's eyes widened. "I can't believe that, that's amazing!"

"I know, right!" Scarlet was grinning, happy to have someone to praise her for her achievement. "The only problem is that they have some terribly wounded men and their doctor is at a loss and I tried to help, but I can only do so much. I was wondering if maybe you could spare a day to come take a look at them. I sort of promised you would come."

Julie looked sincerely apologetic as she gave her answer. "I'm sorry, Scar, but I can't leave right now. We've got a horrible influx of patients right now."

"Its really important, Julie, I'm trying to negotiate an alliance with the Boomers for the NCR and without making a good impression I can't do that. I'm going to look like an ass if I go back without help."

Vulpes watched the other doctors as they moved around. "Perhaps someone else?" He suggested, breaking his silence. Julie jumped, almost startled. She had not noticed him standing there.

"I suppose that could be a choice, we do have Arcade. You know he's more of a researcher, but he absolutely has the medical know-how to do what you're asking. And he's always complaining about never getting to go anywhere."

Scarlet's mouth twitched. "Arcade? Julie he's probably still made at me for—"

"That's ridiculous. He got over that. It was an accident anyway. He's back in his tent working on something. Go on and ask. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to go with you." Julie Farkas shoved the petite blond back towards one of the tents. When they arrived she let her go and patted Scarlet on the back. "Don't forget to say goodbye when you leave this time, okay?"

Scarlet nodded dumbly and frowned at the entrance to the tent. It took her a moment to work up the courage to poke her head in, but when she did her smile was back and a light lilt was in her voice. "Oh, Arcade!" She'd pulled a book from her bag and held it up for the man inside to see. "I brought you something."

"Scarlet." The man that was most likely Arcade Gannon greeted placidly, glancing up from his work. He wore a tattered and stained lab coat and a pair of darkly framed glasses perched on his nose.

"I need a favor though, first." She said, stepping fully into the tent, Vulpes closely behind her.

"Ah, I see." Arcade put down his work and turned completely to the pair, laying his hands in his lap. "It seems that this is not an consolation gift for what happened last time then."

Scarlet laughed nervously. "No, its not. But I am still sorry about that chemistry set! It was dark and I couldn't see the chair."

"Perhaps you'll learn not to sneak about in the middle of the night, yes?"

"I just wanted to surprise you." Scarlet murmured. She had been bringing Arcade a few books and had wanted to leave them on his desk so he could find them in the morning, but instead had tripped over a chair in the dark, thus destroying one of his chemistry sets and almost breaking another piece of equipment.

Arcade raised his eyes to study Vulpes for a few moments before addressing him. "I just want to warn you that you're traveling with one of the clumsiest people on the face of this planet. Scarlet is a walking disaster."

Scarlet glared at the blond man, but Vulpes could tell she wasn't actually angry with him. "Har har."

"I know," Vulpes replied, "She is to be pitied a little I think."

Arcade cracked a smile. "Come on in and sit down, the both of you. I know that look, Scarlet, you've got something on your mind."

The woman smiled and almost bounced over to hug the scientist, apparently happy that he was no longer mad about her little accident. She dropped the book on his desk, making it obvious that she was just kidding about using it as a bargaining chip for him helping them.

Seeing her limp Arcade eyed her suspiciously. "You're injured. What happened? I told you to stop running around getting into trouble. Damn what the NCR or whoever it is wants you to do!" He looked genuinely concerned for her safety, but Scarlet only sighed and took a seat opposite of him.

"It's a funny story."

"I'm sure it is." Arcade did not seem convinced.

* * *

I mentioned the Van Graffs. True Story: The first time I ever made it to Freeside I decided to go into Van Graffs to just see what was up, and you know, its supposed to be a store. I don't know whether it was a glitch or an intentional part of the game but they opened fire on me for no reason as soon as I was inside and killed me (since I had no weapons). Needless to say I reloaded and never went back in, even on all my other games. I'm not a big fan of laser weapons so its not a big loss to me. This happen to anyone else, or do you know what happened?

Oh and I started a bloggy archive thing for my writing and stories (not just my fanfictions but my original stuff, too). I'm still getting the thing up, but I have a news feed thingy that I plan on updating as I write if anyone's interested. The link is in my profile as the Homepage link.

**Next Chapter: You Light Up My Life** - They return to Nellis with Arcade and get a job from Loyal that involves fixing up his solar panels. So Vulpes and Scarlet have to travel to Helios One. And what choice will Scarlet make concerning the supposed weapon Archimedes?


	11. You Light Up My Life

Memememe: Why, thank you!

Heulwen: Aww, that's so cool! I apologize then for anytime in advance when I'm late with my chapters. I'm trying really hard to get myself into a disciplined writing regimen but it doesn't always work out the way I want it to. As for Scarlet's clumsiness, yeah, she's special all right. LOL. I always like the idea of someone that's flawed and imperfect being put into a position like the Courier's. In a lot of ways she and Vulpes' differences will hopefully draw them together as a balanced team. Oh, and I hope you like what I've done with Arcade in this chapter. Its not a lot. I haven't gotten to do very much with him actually in the game quite yet, but I hope I am writing him well enough for now.

Charbear1020: Wow, I'm glad I inspired you. To me there is nothing better than writing, even if its just for fun. And trust me, I understand the lurking very well. I'd be happy to swap notes or discuss anything you want! Just message me on here whenever you want to or find me on Yahoo messenger if you have it (or MSN/Windows Live, but you'll have let me know to be on there because I frequent Yahoo more). Oh, and make sure to remind me who you are and where I know you from. :) OH! Btw, is TheEnigmaticStranger your new account? Just wondering. I'm planning on taking a look at that story here in a bit.

XxXTwilight-SinXxX and Anonymous "Awesomeness": I never noticed that something was going on before. But that helps me a lot so thanks!

Befuddled in the Rain: Oh my! Yes, of course. Glad it was worth it. Here's another one:

**

* * *

Chapter XI**

**You Light Up My Life**

"I don't know how I let you talk me into this." Arcade Gannon said, hoisting the bag of medical supplies he was carrying higher on his back to prevent the drag that was causing his backache. He didn't _not_ like travel, but heading into previously unknown territory with a woman who was prone to getting herself into trouble was proving exciting at the very least. They had already fought two small bands of raiders, some mad cattle, and a lone Cazedor that was determined to turn Arcade into a human pincushion. The insofar unnamed man accompanying Scarlet had to be a mercenary or something of the like from what Arcade could tell, because he was quick on his feet and merciless when it came to taking down foes. He had been the one to kill the Cazedor just inches from Arcade's face. If his aim would had been even a little off he would have shot the doctor, but no sign of worry had shown upon his face, as if he was in complete confidence with his abilities.

That darkness and chill that floated around him was troubling to Arcade, but he knew that despite Scarlet's lucky nature she probably needed someone like that around. She roamed all over the Mojave with just that cyber-dog at her side and a few weapons, trying to act out the heroine persona that had been given to her by the nasty twist of fate that had also caused that scar on her head. That in itself bothered him because it seemed that the only reason she even did it was because that was what was expected of her. Arcade wasn't quite sure what made him want to look out for the girl. Sure, she had done a lot of good things around Freeside and had helped out the Followers more than she could ever understand. She even took time out of her travels to search for books he might enjoy and bring them back for him. The more he thought about it the less of a heroine she seemed and the more of a lost child she appeared, looking for acceptance from someone, anyone. As long as tall, dark, and handsome over there with the ripper and the .44 didn't lay a hand on her to hurt her Arcade felt he could rest a little easier knowing that she wasn't by herself.

"I'm just a silver tongued devil." The young woman gave him a quirky smile, tipping an invisible hat with her pistol. He noticed that the safety was off and groaned inwardly. If she had made one slip she could have put a bullet right back in that little noggin of hers. Arcade's eyes shot to the dark-haired man trailing a few feet behind her and saw he was giving her an irritated look that told him he saw it, too. Smiling would be inappropriate but it made Arcade feel like less of an old foggie (even though he was only thirty-something years young) if others were just as exasperated by her as he was.

"If wishes were horses you'd have a whole herd, Scarlet." Arcade cracked at her expense.

The three trekked over the road leading to Nellis and Arcade spotted a man leaning against the rocks there. For a moment the man began to call out to them but stopped halfway through when he saw Scarlet and her companion. Arcade looked between the group, knowing he was missing something, especially when the dark-haired man got a snarky smile on his face and strode over to the prospector. Arcade went to stand beside Scarlet as the other two men talked in low voices. Scarlet just stood there with one hand on her hip, the other cover her mouth to try to hide the smile and the child-like giggling. "Care to explain?"

Scarlet's mouth upturned into a smirk as she regarded Arcade, relaying to him the events of their previous trip to Nellis and how her friend had made a deal with the other man if they had survived. "I just hope he has the caps to cover that deal." She commented, tone indicating that it would be a horrible thing if he didn't, but she wouldn't lose sleep over what happened to him. A small piece of the puzzle fell into place about her quiet companion. Apparently he was a serious man when it came to business and holding people up to their end of a bargain.

Finally he returned to them holding a bag in his hand. Before he replaced it in his larger traveling bag he shook it a few times. "600 caps, as promised."

"Did you check to make sure?" Scarlet whispered as they began to walk away, her eyes darting behind them to the other man.

That half-smirk again and the dark-haired man replied, voice full of cold callous, "I made him understand what a bad idea it would be to try to deceive me."

Arcade shook his head at the two of them. "Conmen of the Mojave beware."

-X-

Part of the Follower's researcher was a little disappointed that he missed out on the initial excitement of storming the air base, but knew he should count his blessings as they walked straight through Boomer territory and up to the front gate without so much of a gunshot. Scarlet then led him straight to the medical barracks and introduced him to Argyll, Nellis' resident doctor. Then she and her companion promptly disappeared with only a quickly hurried statement claiming they had work to do. Arcade felt a twitch in his cheek but somehow kept it from showing. He supposed he understood. The two of them did have a lot of work to do and they weren't just doing all this for themselves. They were on a mission for the NCR.

The NCR. That bothered Arcade the most about this whole situation. When she had first told him about it he felt like he had been slapped with a "sense-this-does-not-make" stick. Scarlet didn't particularly hate the NCR, but more than once she had went on about how they were making everything worse in the Mojave, not better. The only thing they were good for, she said, was keeping the Legion at bay, but after what she had seen in Nipton she claimed that they weren't even doing that very well either. So it shocked him to learn that she had finally agreed to do some work for them. He knew it was a little paranoid maybe, thinking that she had something else up her sleeve, but in this case A and B were not leading to C, but rather negative 5 and that was just apples and oranges.

God, he was hungry.

-X-

The Monster from the Grime Lagoon had invaded Nellis Air Force Base – oh wait, that's just Scarlet. Arcade had to bite back the smile that had worked itself onto his lips as she stepped inside the medical building. She was covered in dust from head to toe and a particularly dark smear could be seen on her cheek from where she had attempted to wipe it off without some kind of aid. Bits of dried grass and chunks of soil clung throughout her hair, which was no longer neatly pulled back as she normally kept it when she was working. "One word, Arcade Gannon, _one_ _word_ and I swear I will end you!" She pointed a finger at him in an attempt to be threatening, but it just made her look that much more ridiculous.

He bit his tongue and then said, trying to contain the laughter in his tone, "Uhm, what… what happened to you?"

The blond female dropped into one of the chairs across from him and sighed. Her companion had stopped right inside the door and had leaned up against it. His appearance contrasted quite starkly with Scarlet's, seeing as while the usual amount of wind-blown dust had come to rest on his clothing he was nowhere near as dirty as she was. There was a story behind this. Scarlet's mouth drew up in an unpleasant scowl as she recounted the last few hours out of Arcade's presence. "We went to see Loyal, he's an engineer and mechanic around here, and he told us about these solar panels he had that weren't working. So we went to see what we could do to fix them." She flicked a wedge of dirt off her knee with a look of disgust. "Well, I found out that repair is not one of my fortes."

They had spent most of the time on top of the generator building trying to tinker around with the broken panels, each one proving too difficult to fix by themselves. At one point she had gotten so frustrated that she didn't watch what she was doing as she was removing a large chunk of ruined array, the irritation-fueled jerk and sudden release of the piece sent her flying off the side of the building onto the hard ground. Luckily she had been near one of the inclines and managed to hit softly enough not to cause too much damage, although between the heat of the day causing her face and exposed skin to sweat and the roll down the incline she had managed to attract every piece of dirt nearby.

"And that's when it hit me," she continued, lifting her hand nonchalantly, "that there's a similar array over passed Novac called Helios One. I could just pop over there and see if they have any replacement pieces. That would simplify repair to the point that a child could do it."

Arcade regarded her, so surprised that it actually left him numb. "It took you three hours and a fall to realize that?"

Scarlet snarled, and from the minute smirk tugging the man's lips behind her Arcade knew that he had probably said something of a similar nature at the time of her accident. "Apparently so."

She was cute; she really was. How the hell she survived though was beyond Arcade's understanding.

-X-

"You should stop and rest your leg."

Scarlet raised her eyes to glance up at Vulpes. He had a habit of talking to her, but not looking at her. He was doing that now, his eyes flickering across the road ahead of them and the surrounding area. So he was sly like a fox but had the eyes of a hawk. Yes, that's what they reminded her of, raptor's eyes. His vision was sharp and during their short time traveling together she noticed he missed very little, if anything at all. That went for her, too, she supposed. He had a way of seeing right through even her most carefully hidden ploys. Not that she was lying to him, it was just a girl had to have some secrets. Vulpes didn't seem to agree because he appeared to be trying to uncover everything about her.

She knew that his interest in her was purely for the Legion. Caesar's words floated back to her about his dislike for not knowing certain things and she was sure he wanted to know every little detail about the woman he was trying to get on his side. Why he wanted her on his side so badly was still a mystery. Then she remembered Gaius' words as well, his tentative warning about Vulpes. She dropped her eyes back to the ground. He _was_ just interested in her for the Legion, _wasn't_ he? "My leg's fine."

"Your limp is getting worse." He stated things so blunt and with no room for argument. Sometimes she really loved that about his personality, and sometimes she found it overbearing and intolerable. At this moment she just wanted to keep walking, get those replacement arrays, and then finish up whatever other jobs the Boomers had for them.

A burning pain was becoming a constant in her leg though, and the heat that she felt every time she put her hand near the bandage told her that it was feverish. She hoped that it wasn't infected and just acting up. Violet eyes shifted to Vulpes once more. Perhaps she'd have him help her take a look at it later. Currently it hurt for her to bend that far as it stretched the muscles all the way down her legs and through the sore areas. "I promise I'll take a day off when we finish with the Boomers. We're coming up on Novac now and Helios One isn't that far, so unless you're tired I say we go ahead and get there tonight."

Vulpes was no stranger to marching through the night so he had no objections to her plans, although he was concerned for the state of her injury. She could not serve him as well as he intended if she let it get much worse. Serve the Legion, he meant. He fought to push that switch in his brain back towards the needs of the many instead of the need of the one, himself. Legion first. Personal endeavors later.

The crack of a gunshot echoed through the night, shattering through his thoughts. His first instinct was to reach for a weapon, but when Scarlet started yelling he realized that further investigation was required before action. Behind them and slightly off the road was the body of a large black radscorpion. Someone had taken it out before it had reached them. For some reason Scarlet was actually not happy about this. Curious.

"What the fuck! You almost shot me!"

Vulpes looked around, searching for whoever it was that she was talking to, and then followed her gaze up into the mouth of the large dinosaur that stood at the front of Novac. There was movement in the darkness, a glint of metal in the moonlight. A sniper.

The sniper moved forward into the light and Vulpes saw the red beret that adorned his head. First Recon. He was NCR, or had been at some point. The sneer in the man's deep voice was evident as he shouted back down to her, "Don't insult me, princess! We both know you're being dramatic."

"Dramatic! I'm not the one taking trick shots just to show how fucking badass I am! You could have just warned us."

The man in the red beret ignored this comment and changed the subject. "I thought you said you didn't like traveling with other people." The bitter sound in his voice indicated that this wasn't just any man, or any sniper. The two of them had some kind of past.

Scarlet huffed and thrust a thumb over at Vulpes, "you mean him? He's just temporary. We're doing some work for the NCR." She then placed her hands on her hips and added. "I thought you said that you were going to go off hunting Legionaries."

Vulpes controlled the urge to snap his head to look at both her and the man she was talking to. On the outside his face remained as stone cold as was characteristic for him. On the inside he felt a jolt of rage at the thought of someone hunting down his comrades. That rage did not disappear as the First Recon man replied to Scarlet.

"Yeah, well, I find that enough of them come by here for me to do some damage."

Vulpes' body stiffened. It was just a minute body change, but somehow Scarlet caught it, for a few seconds later he felt her delicate hand brush across his lower back. Then it settled there, her thumb tracing a reassuring and soothing pattern along his spine. _What…_ She was trying to calm him. This was a strange thing for him to experience. Legion soldiers didn't need reassurance, didn't get it. To feel her gentle touch caused an odd curling in his stomach. The feeling made him uncomfortable, but her touch…

His body was already relaxing, as if by some kind of magic she was caressing away his rage.

"Where are you headed?" The Sniper asked.

Scarlet merely pointed in the direction they were going.

"Gibson?"

"No, Helios One. You think they have any extra solar array panels they can spare?" Her thumb had stopped moving but her fingers now kneaded the tense muscles in his back. He fought the want of his eyelids to slide closed at the soft pleasure, determined to not let her effect him so strongly. Instead he thought how amusing it was that she was trying to console an angry Legion officer while arguing with a soldier for the NCR.

_Oh, Scarlet, do you have any idea how you look sometimes?_ If he had spoken the words instead of thought them he knew they would have come out a deep purr and perhaps a little mocking. Fight, fight, fight, she did against the thought of the Legion but her actions spoke volumes. Did she even realize how close she was to tipping the scale already?

-X-

Vulpes knew that it was just a story that Scarlet was telling, but every time she told someone that they were working for the NCR he could feel the temperature of his blood begin to rise. For a moment he actually missed the magic touch she had so calmed him with not even half an hour before. Just as soon as he realized that was true he squashed it down with a wave of personal disgust. He didn't need a woman to coddle him, especially that one.

The two were silent as they worked their way through the catwalks and then down to the doorway that led to the main control room for Helios One. That's where they would find a man called Mr. Fantastic, who Vulpes had a feeling was anything _but_ fantastic. They would also encounter a Followers scientist named Ignacio Rivas. Arcade had told them about him before they had set off from Nellis and hinted to ask him more about the power system. Vulpes was beginning to see what Caesar was seeing now. She had this way of making people trust her, care about her. He had realized this to some degree before but now it was obvious that she could accomplish things that not even the most well trained Frumentarius could. Something about her just seemed so innocent to people that they wanted to lay their secrets in her hands.

When they arrived they found that Fantastic was, as expected, not that fantastic, but Rivas was more than helpful. When they went through towards the back exit that would lead them to the fenced in part of the facility they met him. Scarlet immediately introduced herself with a smile and Rivas had apparently heard of her as well. "I've been told you've helped us out quite a bit." He mentioned. "You have our appreciation."

"Don't worry about it. The Followers are super cool so I don't mind helping out." She told the man. "Is there anything else we can help out with other than this power problem? Arcade said there was something else going on."

Rivas looked out his door and when he was satisfied Fantastic wasn't around he closed it and locked it. He then told them about the possibility of a powerful weapon that almost had _Vulpes_ weak in the knees. Mars be praised, the Legion could be having victory handed over to them on a silver platter and the Mojave was too ignorant to realize it. And it was all thanks to the petite little cherubim at his side. He gave Scarlet a look that meant that they _were_ going to talk about this when they were alone. She looked nervous.

-X-

With the knowledge of a potential weapon dancing through their heads both Vulpes and Scarlet knew that their stay at Helios One would last a little longer than expected. Originally she was just going to come in, say what she had to say to get the array parts, and then leave with an apology that the work was far beyond what she could help them with. However, a greater incentive dangled in front of them like a big destructive carrot. Vulpes was interested in it for war; Scarlet was just curious. They set about inputting the codes into their rightful terminals and then headed to the building in the center of the camp. They could feel the eyes of the NCR soldiers on them as they walked, knowing they were thinking that the two were not going to come back out of there due to the heavily guarded interior.

Inside they found robots, and turrets. "Fucking robots!" Scarlet cursed, chucking a pulse grenade toward a protectron that was waddling their way over to them. Why was it always fucking robots? Much to her dismay it bounced and fell past it over the side of the walkway. Another curse and she swung herself back around the wall to avoid being shot by the turrets. Across from them Vulpes pointed out a door. They hurried to it and shut the door behind them.

"I've noticed that you have this overpowering hatred for robots?" Vulpes inquired. He knew why he disliked them, but for a woman like Scarlet, who seemed to enjoy such things absolutely despised them.

She blinked at him. "Really?" She pointed to a fresh laser burn on the arm of her outfit.

"It goes deeper than that." He pressed, finding a little entertainment in how frustrated she got over the issue.

"They bother me. Nothing that isn't living and born with a soul should have that kind of intelligence. Its… unnatural."

"You don't like them because they creep you out."

"They don't creep me out!" She tried to argue.

"That's essentially what you just said in not so many words." He pointed out.

"Fine, they fucking creep me out." She muttered at him. As her eyes gazed passed him she saw a terminal in the corner. "_Hello_!" Moving passed him she pressed a few keys and brought up the main screen. It asked for a password. She cursed. "I'm going to have to hack it."

Vulpes leaned over her shoulder a little to watch her. The Legion wasn't much for technology, but it never hurt to learn new things. She then brought up a screen full of words and strange symbols. Somewhere in that list she said was the password that would allow them to access the controls. It was just a matter of finding them. The only problem with it was they only had a limited number of chances before it locked them out. The setup seemed impossible until she chose a word. It appeared on the right side of the screen with two numbers beside it. 3/7.

"What does that mean?"

"This is how many letters are correct in the password." She explained, pointing at the 3.

It was logic. Pure logic. "It's a puzzle." He said aloud.

"Yes, it's a puzzle."

"Try that word." He indicated one on the bottom of the screen. She did so, but gave him a very strange expression. That word appeared on the right side of the screen as well, but underneath the first. The numbers this time read 5/7.

"Good job." She grinned. "I'm terrible at this."

"Then can I try?" He was surprised that he was interested.

She seemed to be, too, but rose from the seat and motioned to it. "Be my guest. I'll go keep watch by the door."

While he studied the words on the screen Scarlet leaned against the wall in the dim light, straining her ears to listen for any sign that they were being approached. They had left that protectron outside marching towards them so it was only a short amount of time before it reached their hiding spot. Vulpes chose another word, lips thinning into a scowl when it came up 5/7 again. No worse, but no better. Although there could contain a clue as to which letters were the correct ones. He began to examine the three words that had already been chosen closely.

Meanwhile the door slid open and the protectron grinded out its mechanical warning. Scarlet rolled her eyes and blasted its head casing right off, and shoved it back out of the room with a kick. It bounced on the floor outside and she slapped the control for the door. Silence once more.

Vulpes took a deep breath and moved the cursor over a word. He was sure it was this one. He pressed the key and for a moment he thought it was telling him he was wrong, but then the words slid up on the screen and the control options appeared. Scarlet cried out happily and he was aware that her hand was squeezing his shoulder with excitement.

"_Yesss._" She hissed, watching as he began to cancel all security protocol. "No turrets today, thank god!"

-X-

Standing at the top of the tower had a dizzying effect on Scarlet's mind. The height made her feel like she was unbalanced and could fall at any moment despite how firmly her boots were planted on the steel catwalks. The beauty of the view was dazzling. Even the solar panels below had a strange beauty from way up here. Instead of hulking pieces of technology their arrangement reminded her of a giant glittering flower, and like a flower they waited for the sun to feed them. She smiled as a breeze wafted passed her face, blowing strands of copper blond hair across her eyes. She moved to brush them out of her way, turning her head just slightly to look back at her companion.

Vulpes had stopped when they came out of the door, and he was in thinking mode. Curious she walked back over to him. "What is it?"

"Archimedes." He stated. They were high above anyone who could hear them. It was the perfect place to talk about it. "What are we going to do with this little bit of information?"

Scarlet swallowed and lowered her head. She had been concerned about that the entire time they made their way through the facility. Archimedes was real. They weren't quite sure what it did yet, but they knew it was indeed a powerful weapon, and a dangerous one in the wrong hands. Only Scarlet felt herself wondering whose hands were wrong. She was happy the Brotherhood no longer had it, for they were technological crazies. However the NCR wasn't too much better, they would probably lord it over their people as a way to make them obey them, an incentive for those that hadn't accepted them to do so… or else. Thankfully they were too stupid and spread too thin to realize what they had here. Yet the Legion, the Legion would use its destructive power to expand their imperial might. Since she hadn't made her mind up about them she didn't want to just hand them the information about it, but she really didn't have a choice with Vulpes standing right there.

"Can we keep it to ourselves for a while? Its not like we even know what it can do."

Vulpes studied her hard. She felt his eyes driving into her like knives and she was suddenly filled with fear for the first time she had met him. If he wanted to he could just push her off the side of the railing or strangle her. By the time anyone realized it she'd be dead and he would be long gone, on his way back to Caesar to inform him of it. Still, she didn't see him as the type to just attack like that, especially when Caesar was so interested in her. No, he couldn't really kill her without orders – could he? He moved to grip her arm and drag her toward him, the muzzle of his gun pressed against her jaw. "And what if you decide to betray us and tell the NCR about the weapon and warn them to protect it?"

Her body trembled in his grasp, but she managed an answer. "If I betray you to them I would have to betray myself and admit that I was with you here."

He considered that. "However true that is, why should we just sit on information like this?"

Scarlet sighed. "Remember that trust thing we talked about? It would go a long way with me right now if you would just trust me that telling Caesar about Archimedes right now would be the wrong move. I'll tell him myself when the time is right, in fact, if I decide to choose the Legion I will make it my gift along with my services."

"And if you don't choose the Legion?" He questioned.

"Then you can kill me and tell Caesar about it anyway. You don't have to tell him how long you've known about it. No harm, no foul." She gave him a small, hopeful smile. He felt her hand on his back again, her fingers once more sliding along his spine. She was becoming quite brave when it came to him. He hoped she wasn't beginning to underestimate him, or think that she could just charm him into doing what she wanted. That might have worked on that fool Benny if she had tried it, but it would not work on him.

Vulpes didn't like the idea of keeping a secret of such a magnitude from Caesar, but at the same time her words did ring with some truth. At that moment the Legion was gaining the upper hand again, but their numbers were still small in the area compared to their other regions. Sending a regiment to take this place would mean less of their people in other camps. It might make them vulnerable. The wait and see tactic could end up helping them in the long run. Also, it might also be worth it to gain points with her. From what he could tell Scarlet had been betrayed by just about everyone, and if he could get her to believe he was trustworthy it would be that much easier to pull her into the Legion, to draw her into his own web.

Finally he pulled his gun away and holstered it. He allowed himself to return her smile with one of his own. "Very well, but keep in mind what will happen if you lied to me."

* * *

_Long chapter is long_. O.o;

So this baby ended up being 9 pages long, almost 10 before I decided that I would end it a little sooner than I planned, but it worked out well. Also the part about Boone was an addition that just jumped into the story as I wrote. It surprised the hell out of me because I actually really like Boone so writing him and Scarlet at odds like that was weird. I'm still trying to figure out everything for the next chapter, but as I write it should smooth itself out. I am considering doing the Young Hearts Quest where Jack reveals he's fallen for the Crimson Caravan girl Janet and wants to meet her. I'm a little iffy, but I also think it would be interesting to see how Vulpes may react or not react put in a situation like that. Any thoughts on that would be helpful.

Also also! It was raining last night so it was hard to sleep so I got back up, but for some reason couldn't concentrate on Liberatas at all so I started this possible one-shot series with another Courier character and Vulpes, although its going to lean more on the smut-side until the very last chapter (depending upon what decisions I make). It should be very short and I may not publish it until I'm finished. Just thought I'd give my fellow Vulpes lovers a heads-up while I worked on in case you're interested.

**Next Chapter: Can't Buy Me Love **- Title may change depending upon content. Erm, more Boomer stuff. Possible trek into the world of love if Scarlet decides to help Jack with his long distance crush and the two of them begin to prepare for the big finale for the Boomers. At most I only have two more chapters consisting of action at Nellis and then I have something a little more original planned for a little break.


	12. Can't Buy Me Love

**Author's Note**: Ohmyflippingosh! Please don't stone me yet! I'm so so so so so so sorry about being so late. I know that compared to other writers I guess I'm not that bad, but going from nearly a chapter a day to almost zilch for a few (minus the Raul one-shot) makes me feel bad. Granted I did get carried away with writing up some plans for a couple other stories, including an upcoming LW/Mr. Burke story. I always wanted to write one because I found him really fascinating for some reason. The other day I spotted someone else had wrote one and it totally reminded me of how much I used to want to write one, too. Long story short, got inspired and now have a decent plan shaping up for one. This chapter, like the last one, also gave me trouble. Something about the Boomers just mess with my head. I like them and all, but the closer I have to follow the given plot in the game (and not have leeway) the harder it is. Part of me is still a little unhappy with it, and I may at a later date, and after I give it a bit of time to stew and see if its just me or not, I may rewrite it. Not much, just the end after they meet Janet though. Anyways, enough of me. Review replies, quite brief, and then story:

Rowena: Thank you, I'm glad you think so. Sorry to have kept you waiting for this chapter, but here it is!

TheEnigmaticStranger: Yes, Vulpes smut. -cackle- Oh, and don't worry about the gun thing. Dangerous is sexy and he is the epitome of dangerous.

**

* * *

Chapter XII**

**Can't Buy Me Love**

"All finished!" Scarlet chirruped, lifting herself from the awkward position she had been in while fixing the last solar array panel in place. She stepped away from it and wiped the dust off her hands before placing them on her hips. Her glinting eyes surveyed the work the two of them had done with pleasure. "Let's get this baby fired up!" The smile she shot Vulpes was electric. The energy that crackled off her today was enough to fuel these panels by herself. She had been that way since they'd left Helios One. Vulpes was trying to figure out if this was her way of forgetting that he had put a gun to her head, or if she was actually that damned happy for the way everything was progressing. Maybe she wasn't the type of person to hold a grudge against someone pointing a gun at her after all. He remembered the way she'd mercilessly shot down the Chairman, but then recalled how that whole situation had never felt quite right to him.

The Legionary didn't say a word, but gave a curt nod and started for the steps. Behind him he heard Scarlet's light footsteps, just a little more hurried and slightly more bouncy than his. She reminded him of a child that had been given too much sugar for breakfast; the only problem was that she hadn't crashed yet and it didn't look like it was likely to happen soon. He was halfway down the concrete stairs when her surprised cry broke from her lips. Before she bashed her head open he twisted his body in time to catch her and pull her back onto the step beside him. "Be careful."

Scarlet could feel the rumble of his words in his chest as much as she heard them. Her stomach did a spiral flip when she realized his hands were on her shoulders and he had her just millimeters from his chest. Swallowing she lifted her head to look at him. "Sorry, my boot caught the edge." She wasn't going to tell him the truth, which was the fact her leg had suddenly throbbed so painfully that it had buckled beneath her. She told herself she was keeping it to herself because she was fine now and not for a stupid reason like appearing weak. Recollections of the post-bunker fight chiding from him resurfaced. It made her feel even more frail and silly, especially with his hands on her. They felt so strong. Her insides curled again and she fought the twitch in her hand to flutter there.

The spell was released when his hands came off and he stepped passed her. He seemed unaware of the effect he was having on her that moment and she was thankful for that. It allowed her to move on and get her work done. The panels worked perfect they found out and they headed back off towards the hangar to talk with Loyal about the finished job. The older man was more than pleased. Before they left he stopped them and informed them of the last big job. "Pearl said it was about time we trusted you two." Loyal said, and Vulpes and Scarlet exchanged glances. He then went on to tell them about the bomber plane that had crashed into the lake and how for many years they've dreamed of bringing it up.

"Why haven't you?" Scarlet asked. She was excited. This was huge!

Loyal chuckled, "obviously you've forgotten that we don't exactly get out much."

Scarlet looked sheepish. "Yeah, that's right. Sorry."

"Since the two of you have been so helpful we thought we would tell you and see if you would want to help us with this."

"Of course we want to help you! This is really amazing, Loyal!" Scarlet cried.

Vulpes noticed that they were doing it again. Scarlet was talking and making all the decisions and he was remaining her quiet companion, her shadow. This was actually how he had intended things to go between them since he could learn nothing about the way her mind worked if he took control the whole time, but he was realizing now with some trepidation that they hadn't even discussed it and had fallen right into it. There was a part of him that was angered in a way that she would just assume she could lead the way as she always had before he had come along. The other part of him considered that perhaps he was underestimating her intelligence and had from the start known what he was here for. Maybe she wasn't being disrespectful at all, but silently following his wishes without either of them being aware of it.

As the two walked away from Loyal to go find Jack, his apprentice, so they could retrieve the rebreather he might have for them, he spoke up, silky voice laced with danger. "Any reason you did not ask my opinion on this new mission?"

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Scarlet's steps falter and the smile on her lips twitch into uncertainty. From that angle he could not tell if there was fear there or just confusion. "I—I'm sorry. I just figured since we're supposed to be making friends with them that I should take it, I mean, was that wrong? I didn't mean to—" The worried and apologetic tone tapered off as she stopped and tilted her head to him. "Why the _hell_ am I apologizing to you? You haven't said hardly two goddamned words about what we're supposed to be doing other than gaining their trust. At least I'm making an effort here!" With that she stomped off away from him, zeroing in on Jack.

Not quite what Vulpes had expected, but he found himself intensely amused with her reaction. Her first instinct had been to say she was sorry and upon realizing that she was doing so she became angry, but not at him, oh no, he could see that self-disgust the second it hit her what she was doing. He had hoped that maybe underneath the self-sufficient tough girl act was really a moderately submissive persona. He found a lot of times the more rough a woman acted on the outside the more insecure she was on the inside, the easier it was to get her to do exactly what you wanted. Scarlet was a layer of steel laid over a layer of crème spread over some barbed wire.

He followed her, a smile flickering across his features, one of dark anticipation and deceit. Oh, this was going to be fun.

-X-

Mortification. Embarrassment. Stupidity. Those were just a few of the words Scarlet had drifting through her mind concerning the exchange between she and Vulpes. The bastard had done it again, seemed to weave himself into that frail little psyche of hers and chip away. It had taken her almost until she had finished speaking to realize that he was baiting her, testing what she thought of his demands. As angry as she was she couldn't really blame him. She knew who he was and what he was capable of and yet she still let her guard down around him. _Like a moron._ She growled inwardly at herself.

Instead of letting herself be bothered by it anymore she approached Jack with a bright smile. "Hey there, handsome, whatcha thinkin' about?" The man had been in deep thought, his brows furrowed and eyes downcast to the floor as he absently worked on the piece of machinery that was in his hand.

Her voice startled him back to reality and he almost dropped it. "Oh! Scarlet." He returned her smile with a little less happiness. Underneath it she could read touches of sadness and worry. Poor boy _had_ been thinking real hard after all. He set the clump of metal down on the table and turned to her, his expression melting back into his pensive state. "Do you… do you really think I'm handsome?"

By this time Vulpes had caught up to her. She ignored his presence as much as possible, trying to pretend that she was very annoyed with him at the moment. It made it easier that she found herself wrapped in a blanket of confusion at Jack's question. "Um, well yeah. I think you're quite handsome. I bet you're a real heartbreaker!"

Color bled across Jack's cheeks and he shook his head. "I don't want to be a heart breaker."

"No, its…" Scarlet bit her lip as she considered him. He was too damned sweet. "It's a figure of speech, meaning I bet you could get any girl you wanted."

"Oh." He seemed a little more relieved. "I hope so."

"So you were thinking about a girl." Scarlet couldn't help but grin. She had never been a romantic truly. It never appealed to her. Love was a messy affair full of pain and in the wasteland it almost always ended in at least one of the parties being dead or wishing they were. Still, that didn't stop her from appreciating the sentiment, wishing that it wasn't so hard, that the struggle was really worth it in the end. "Who is she?"

Jack seemed appreciative that someone was interested in his troubles. He immediately gushed about his long distance love from the Crimson Caravan and how he hoped that maybe she felt something similar, too. "I just wish I knew."

"I can go talk to her for you."

"Really!"/"_What_?"

Jack grabbed Scarlet in a tight embrace. "Oh, you would really do that for me!"

"Of _course_ I will." Scarlet replied, patting him on the back. Her eyes flickered over to the Legionary standing beside her and caught the displeasure written there. He had been pretending to be angry about her plans with Loyal, but he was really pissed at her about this. _Serves him fucking right for messing with my head_.

-X-

"You did that to spite me!"

Scarlet turned towards the fuming Legionary as they walked. She didn't stop, just continued her pace backwards. Vulpes thought continuing to move was a good idea, because if she stopped long enough for her to get in reach of him he might have grabbed her and throttled her right then and there. The nasty smile on her face was enough to tell him that he was right. "So what. It's not that big of a deal. I don't see why you're getting all bent out of shape."

"Because it's a waste of time." He growled through gritted teeth. They came here to ally Caesar's Legion with the Boomers, not play matchmaker with a pair of lovey-dovey imbeciles, one of which lived in a dream world supplied by the sheltered teachings of his air base haven, and the he hadn't met yet but was sure to prove equally irritating.

"It is not! We're going to have to head that way anyway. In fact it might save us some time. Instead of having to go all the way back to my apartment at the 38 we'll just have to stop off at Crimson and while we're getting that pressure cooker for Jack we can find his lovely little redhead. Hell, its close enough that we wouldn't even have to take Arcade all the rest of the way back to the Followers Fort. Its actually quite convenient."

"You agreed to it even before you found out about the pressure cooker for the rebreather." Vulpes pointed out. She was trying to twist the situation into something that it hadn't been. It was almost insulting how she thought that he would so easily forget the order of events that had happened.

"I still don't see the problem. We would have had to leave to go to the bay anyway, and we could have done it then, even before knowing about the damned pressure cooker." That self-important smirk had vanished from her face, replaced by something darker and irritated. Deep inside her she wanted nothing more to just dismiss him as foolish. This was the reason that she didn't like having traveling companions. Eventually they always found something to disagree with you on, and disagree so vehemently it was almost like they were at war. She was walking with her back to him now, unable to look at the anger on his face. It disturbed her on a level she couldn't quite understand. Perhaps it was because she was so used to seeing him controlled, or maybe there was a part of her that hated that he was looking at her that way.

_Why the hell should that matter? He's just some sick Legion asshole who gets off on watching people suffer. _In that moment she almost told him to go back to Caesar and inform him that the deal was off and that she couldn't care less. If they wanted to go to war with her as well as the NCR and any other 'profligates' they found then they were welcome. She'd be ready for them, by god.

Then he spoke. "It would have _still_ been a waste of time because _love_ is a waste of time. It's illusory. It's the lie that men and women tell themselves so that they can forget about just how worthless their lives are. It's the excuse they feed their precious, pointless morals so that they can have offspring without having to admit the ugly truth that the only thing they're doing is reproducing to propagate the species. It's hardwired into our nature. Humans are little more than animals. The sickest part is that they try so hard not to be by forcing on the world their fantasy of ideas such as love."

"For something you claim to hate and not believe in you sure have spent a hell of a long time thinking about it to form that kind of opinion." She had completely stopped walking now, halfway between the hangar and the medical barracks where they were supposed to meet Arcade.

The apathy had returned, a cold nothingness veiling his eyes. "If you are insinuating that perhaps I have some kind of personal vendetta against this certain emotion then I am sorry to disappoint you. I've never had the displeasure of running into the sentiment, which I am thankful for. The silly notion of love has no place in the life of a soldier. It cannot protect you from an enemy's blows or mend your wounds. It cannot feed you when you are hungry or warm you when you are cold. It is just a word, nothing more."

"You're saying that love isn't real."

"Love _isn't_ real." That was final. She read the tone in his voice and the confidence with which he said it. "I don't believe in things I cannot see, and for as long as I've been alive love has remained as ever elusive as the concept of peace. Neither of them exists. They're just bedtime stories. And if you haven't noticed I grew up a long time ago."

Scarlet frowned. That could be debated she believed, with all of her heart. So far from what she could tell about the Legion it was nothing but an army of little boys that had been taken away from their mothers before they were ready and then raised by a strict over-lording Father who pushed them further than he had a right to. This she would not say aloud and would not dare. "That is what you truly believe then?" She felt sad for him, the anger she felt diffusing instantly.

"I do. But," he waved his hand with a sigh, "if it is what you insist upon we will go to this Crimson Caravan and we will talk to Jack's so-called love. Let's just be quick about it. We have _real_ work to do."

-X-

Her name was Janet and she was actually quite pretty. She had short red hair that glimmered in the midday sun and wide friendly eyes that had turned on them as they approached her. She stood straight up and leaned on the broom she had in her hand. "Hi." Scarlet greeted with a smile. She had to be the one Jack was talking about. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"I guess you can, but if you're looking for someone in charge I'm not it. McLafferty is in the office over there." She pointed at the building behind them.

"Oh, we're not here to talk with her. You ever watch a man over at Nellis Air Force Base through your binoculars?"

The woman looked nervous for a moment and a slight blush spread over her cheeks. "Yes, I have on occasion."

Scarlet grinned. "That's great! I'm here on his behalf. My name's Scarlet, and the handsome man you've been seeing, well, his name's Jack and he had the hugest crush on you."

"He does?" Janet asked, and she looked like she might have fallen over if it hadn't been for her broom.

"Convinced you're the love of his life!" Scarlet explained the entire situation to her, each moment Janet's face showing her growing intrigue. "He's really sweet. I think you should meet him."

"I would really like to. This is so exciting!" She hugged Scarlet tightly and it reminded her of Jack's hug. She bit back the urge to laugh because it was all just too perfect. Perfect until Janet spoke again. "The only bad thing is that I'm under contract and if I just leave I can't get my money that they owe me. I'd be forfeiting it."

"I'll tell you what, I'll go talk to McLafferty. I have a way with people sometimes and I can see if she'll let you go."

-X-

Vulpes did not come in with her, opting to lean against the building at the bottom of the stairs. He was making it perfectly clear he still thought this whole thing was a big waste of time. At least he was no longer arguing with her about it and for that she gave him some credit. Regardless of his attitude Scarlet was fairly happy with the progression of things. Janet seemed like a very lively and friendly woman. She could see her and Jack together with no problem and was hoping for the best as she stepped into the office. Unfortunately McLafferty had other plans.

"I can't just let people walk out on their contracts or they would mean nothing at all. I let one person do it and then everyone will start doing it. That is no way to run a business."

"You don't have to tell anyone that she just walked out." Scarlet suggested, "I mean, if things work out then she won't be coming back to tell anybody about it. You can't really want to stop two people from possibly finding love do you?"

Alice McLafferty didn't look like she had loved a day in her life – unless that love was for money and order. She regarded Scarlet rather incredulously. "I can let her go, but I cannot let her take her money."

"Could you at least give her part of it, maybe a compromise?"

-X-

Scarlet came out of the door, tension wracked her features and she was mumbling some unpleasant things under her breath. Vulpes lifted his head just as she called McLafferty an "insufferable old bat." He smirked. "I take it that she said no."

"It was like talking to _you_." She strode passed him and over to Janet, who was waiting for the answer. Seeing the approaching blond's face was enough to let her know how it went. Scarlet went through the entire conversation with her, looking extremely disappointed with herself. Behind her Vulpes watched closely, taking in every twitch in her face, tone in her voice. He wanted to know why something like this meant so much to her. He knew it was too much to figure it out now, but maybe in time. "And I even offered to do a few jobs for her to make up for it, and she was like, no, we're not hiring anyone!"

Janet sighed. "I should have figured. Thanks anyway, I really appreciate that you tried. I may have to wait until my contract runs out and that just… Its going to be hard now knowing that he feels the way I do and me not being able to meet him."

Walking away from Janet was a hard thing for Scarlet to do. She crossed her arms over her chest like she was cold and stared straight ahead as they neared the gates. "I told you," Vulpes said, "that this was a waste of time."

"Please," Scarlet began, her voice sounding very small, "I don't want to talk about it."

Vulpes knew that he should feel something about the situation, or at least pretend to. Yet he could not fathom it and didn't want to. If Scarlet wanted to get worked up over it then let her. It would just go to prove how silly women could get.

Suddenly they heard hurried footsteps coming up behind them and when they turned they saw Janet running up. "Wait! I talked to her and told her she could shove her caps! What's a bunch of money if I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life, huh?" She grinned widely at Scarlet, who smiled back.

"Welcome aboard!"

-X-

It took a little finagling with Pearl to let Janet in the rest of the way, but after what Scarlet and Vulpes had done for the Boomers thus far, and Pearl's want for her people to be happy she allowed her inside, informing Jack that she was his responsibility and needed to make sure she understood their ways. Jack never looked happier as he stood talking to Janet for the first time. They looked like a couple of teenagers on a first date. In a way it was just like that. Scarlet sat on an old metal crate and watched them from afar, her head in her hands.

"They look so happy." She sighed. "I feel like I've done a good deed today."

Vulpes wanted to tell her it was a pointless good deed, but kept his mouth shut. It was something about the quiet of the building and her lilting voice that wiped away the majority of his discontent. She seemed even brighter then than she had that morning, as if she had been fueled by the job she had done for Jack. Vulpes had never been the kind of man who saw use in philanthropy unless it aided his own cause. Why Scarlet cared so much for a bunch of strangers was foreign to him. He labeled it under one of the many mysteries about the woman and left it at that.

"We should head out in the morning for the bay." He switched topics. He had retrieved the detonator and all needed components from Loyal when they had returned. The only thing they had left was the rebreather, which Jack promised he would have for them by sunrise, even if it took him working a little late. At least Scarlet had agreed to let him instead of insisting he spend time with his new girlfriend. They might not have been able to avoid the extension of their stay here for this day, but if they had to just sit around another few days for Jack to get over the newness of his relationship Vulpes would have went crazy. The NCR wasn't exactly banging down the Legion's door, but the more they got done before the big battles began the better off the Legion would be.

"You're right. Let's go get some rest and then." She hopped off her crate. Misjudging the distance caused pain to shoot up her injured leg from the weight suddenly brought upon it. A hiss broke from her throat and she tripped. One hand grasped out for the crate to steady herself, but before it could hit she felt his hands pulling her up.

"If you keep falling like this I might have to tell Caesar we can't use you, and not because you're not a good soldier, but because your clumsiness might be the death of us."

Scarlet frowned up at him. She realized that there was a touch of humor in that comment and was glad to see he was relaxing from their earlier spat. As angry as she had been with him at the time it worried her now that she could have potentially blown it all over a silly disagreement. She didn't understand his hold over her. She was just about done fighting it though. "Hey, Vulpes," she said, softly. When his eyes flickered down to hers she said, "about earlier, maybe one day you'll see where I'm coming from."

"I doubt it, but I'll keep it in mind."

* * *

Haven't fully decided yet on if I'm going to make something out of Vulpes' reaction to the whole love thing or just leave it as he really does just think its a silly concept. However, if I do make it a bigger, more personal deal, its not going to be something like he was in love with some chick once and lost her or she did him wrong or something. My Vulpes, at least in this story, as far as I can see hasn't had any romantic relationships nor has wanted them, so he really has spent his life alone. Kind of sad, poor baby.

Reviews are _awesome_, especially for this chapter. The end feels off to me, but it might just be because its five in the morning and I've been up all night. Hmmm.

**Next Chapter: Volare!** - Da plane boss, Da plane! Err, okay, bad joke. Vulpes and Scarlet finally get to set off to bring up the old bomber. It will be the last chapter with the main Boomer quests.


	13. Volare!

King: Lover's spat? Quite. If only _they _realized it! And I truly got a kick out of the visual of you leaping to your feet and disturbing your flatmates. I gave myself a few minutes for a personal giggle.

TheEnigmaticStranger: We already covered most of it in our conversation last night, but yes, I think without the events of the last chapter their relationship would have been much harder to breach. It was an accidental turn of good fortune I decided to write it the way I did, so thanks. Oh, and just to let you know, I _did_ write the song in at the end. May the other readers forgive me Scarlet's silliness, but it was just too perfect!

Sip Fornicaras: Addictive, huh? You know what they say about drugs - you shouldn't do them. But in this case we'll let it slide, just as long as you keep enjoying the story. Oh, and I totally agree about him not being so against women. I can see him have that slight lean towards men being the stronger better sex, but I always saw him more intrigued by the courier than look down upon her in the game. (I never played a male so I don't know if it would be different or not, and if its not I guess that just proves he really doesn't care, lol.) I'm hoping that I can make him think more about love, too, and I also agree with the way you think he would be with someone. I think a lot of people forget that love can take many forms, not just the fluffy, lovey-dovey one most people like to consider as the end-all be-all definition of the word.

**

* * *

Chapter XIII**

**Volare!**

It would be at least a two-day trek to Callville Bay from Nellis, so the unlikely pair that was Vulpes Inculta and Scarlet Hugues made preparations. Their traveling bags were filled with food and ammo. Their clothing was checked for weak spots and patched. Before the sun had even reached its peak they were ready to go, most likely because Vulpes had rose hours before the sun had and his movements had roused Scarlet who together worked diligently until they finished. Despite his newfound happiness they found that Jack had kept his promise and presented them with the finished rebreather when they went to retrieve it. Dark circles were under his eyes, indicating he had worked all night, but it seemed to have been a joyful labor for Janet was asleep on some crates not too far away, her head pillowed on a folded blanket.

"Thanks again." Jack whispered to the pair. "We talked all night! We share a favorite song!" His giddy excitement was contagious and brought a smile to Scarlet's lips. Vulpes watched with curiosity the curve of them, took in the rosy pink color and contrasted it to the tanned skin of her face. Even in the dim florescent lights her sun-kissed flesh seemed healthy and alive, which was a feat, for most people looked washed out under these kinds of lamps. He briefly wondered how her skin would look next to his own pale complexion, perhaps bare and glistening with sweat… He found his own lips curling now, but not for the same reason as Scarlet's.

A groggy voice turned their attention towards the heretofore sleeping woman. Janet rubbed her eyes a little and brushed a slender hand through her cropped red locks. "You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye were you?" Her legs dangled just a little over the crates she was sitting on.

"You were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you." Scarlet said. "We're going to be back in a few days anyway." When the other woman put one arm out in an indication of a wanted hug Scarlet walked over and obliged.

"You know you're totally my best friend now, right?" Janet smirked as Scarlet leaned back from the embrace.

"I better be girly!" Scarlet cracked.

"You know when you and your boyfriend are going to be back?"

There was a brief choking sound of surprise that followed Janet's question, as though it had grasp all words and air within Scarlet and squeezed. Uncomfortable didn't cover it. The half-smile on Vulpes' face turned into a fell-blown smirk at this point, wondering what her reaction would be. "Oh! He's not… He's not my boyfriend or anything. We're just friends."

"Oh." Janet said. "I'm sorry I thought you were since you were always together and you shared the same tent."

"Oh no. _God_ no!" Scarlet's laugh was a little strangled and anxious. Vulpes' smirk completely vanished at the fervor in her words. And to think that seconds before he had been considering the many ways he was going to make her scream, and _pleasurably_; she didn't know what she was missing.

-X-

"_God no_."

Scarlet turned her head to look at Vulpes. He hadn't spoken since they had exited the hangar and made their way out of Nellis. They were almost to the little shack on the other side of the mountain road when he finally verbalized what had been going through his head the whole way. "What?" She asked, and felt that she had missed something important, but wasn't too surprised because she did that from time to time – well, okay, _most_ of the time.

"Am I _that_ unpleasant that the answer you must choose about our supposed coupling is 'God no!'?"

Both of her eyebrows shot up in surprise when she realized what had happened. It wasn't exactly hurt she saw in his eyes, but a little bit of anger mixed with confusion. It took everything she had not to burst into a fit of laughter. She had managed, without intending to, to strike a serious assault on Vulpes' psyche. It was quite a surprise actually, because she expected more of a reaction like that from someone like Jack, not Vulpes, who stood a constant reminder of power and confidence. Now he looked like a petulant child. Wait, no, she knew exactly what he looked like right then to her: Rex. He reminded her of Rex when she had to scold him, the almost sad eyes, the confused expression. The image of Vulpes as the poor kicked puppy nearly broke the last of her composure, especially when she realized the only thing that was missing from the picture was the Vexillarius hood he wore at times. She covered her mouth, but not the sound of her snicker.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing." His tone was almost mournful and she wondered if he even knew how he sounded right then.

"No, I'm not laughing at that, I'm—" She realized sadly that what she _was_ laughing at was worse than what he thought she was laughing about so she let it drop. "Oh, never mind." They walked in tense silence for a few more minutes before she finally stopped and turned. "All right, enough of this. I'm sorry I bruised your precious little man-ego, ok?"

No words, but he was looking at her now with the strangest expression.

She continued, "let's stop pretending like _I_ don't know that _you_ know that I'm highly attracted to you." A sigh. "All right, _intensely_ attracted to you. This whole situation is hilarious not because it in itself is funny, but when placed next to everything else its too ridiculous. Do you even _look_ at yourself in the mirror?" She gave her comment a few moments to sink in before rolling on, "I mean where the hell is the man I met in Nipton, sarcastic and sure of himself. You know, the one that fucking took my breath away because I thought he was so gorgeous, _or that could have been the smoke_. Not to mention a voice that made chills crawl across my spine – and not because I was scared."

She laid a hand on his arm and she noted how his eyes flickered to the touch and then back up to her face. Such a small little movement really, but it told her a lot. "So, excuse me if I have a little private giggle because I _told the truth_. We're not together. You're not my 'boyfriend' as silly as that word sounds right now." And it did. The term boyfriend sounded so strange out here in the wasteland, mostly because it could have never applied to Vulpes, _ever_. "Right now, me and you," she pointed between the two of them, "we're business partners and that is it. I can enjoy the fact you're beautiful to look at and I'm sure you feel the same way about me – if I may be so bold – but frankly despite the fact that we both seem to have this unhealthy obsession with each other we're just orbiting…"

Vulpes watched her face as she spoke, took in the brutal truths within her words. Brutal because he knew that most of what she just said had taken much effort on both sides to keep under wraps. More on her part than his, for he didn't care if she figured out he desired to have her, although it was easier to hunt your prey when they didn't realize they were being hunted at all. He had a feeling from the way she put it though she still did not truly grasp his full intentions. No matter, for he was still surprised that she had admitted as much as her own feelings on the subject. He had been aware that she bore some intrigue during their meeting in Nipton but until now not known the true extent of which he had affected her.

_Took her breath away? That's more like it._ He thought, even though he had never considered himself a vain man. No, vanity was for profligate sissies and women. However, he wasn't foolish and had more than once been reminded that while he may not have been the handsomest man in the _world_ he certainly stood out compared to the rest of the riff-raff in the Mojave. To his disdain it had also brought him certain attentions from women (and sometimes men) he would have preferred to ignore. This was one of the few times he found himself mutually attracted to his admirer.

Her comparison to them and a pair of celestial bodies was fascinating. It was also quite fitting. They did seem to be in some kind of orbit around each other, or perhaps they were two meteorites whose paths were running parallel at the moment. It remained to be seen if one of them would change course and collide into the other. If they did… _when_ they did he would relish it.

He was formulating a response when she removed her hand and crossed her arms over her chest. "So, does that make you feel better or do I need to compliment you some more, you sexy piece of man-flesh you."

For an instant he considered being offended by her sudden change of attitude, but when the soft smile crept over her lips he realized she was not being mocking, just playful. Instead he just gave her a derisive snort, as if she had been imagining the whole thing. "I don't need your approval."

Her mouth twisted into a bemused smirk as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay, whatever."

-X-

Night had fallen and they were forced to make camp. Scarlet supposed they could have continued on through the night, but between her exhaustion from being up so early that morning and the throbbing pain that was now inching up her leg she didn't argue when Vulpes had pointed off into a small circle of boulders that could provide them cover from predators and other travelers. She had waited until she was sure he was completely out before she grabbed her bag and rolled up her pants to check her leg wound. Inside she knew what she was doing was foolish, keeping the pain from him when it was probably just silly aches as it healed. Still, that fear that he would find her weak and useless for needing to mention it was strong.

Delicately she pulled the old bandage off of her leg and gave a sigh of relief as the pressure it caused was released. Underneath it she could see the patches of skin that were healing. Some of it was still a little raw, but in many places it was mending quite well. The only problem area was a fist sized bruise, which she remembered with unease had been smaller earlier that day. Upon further inspection she realized it wasn't quite a bruise as a mass of infection boiling beneath her skin. That would explain the redness, the swelling, and the over all feverish nature of her leg at times. With a frown she touched the tender spot, testing it. The effect was immediate and she hissed loudly enough to snap her head over to see if Vulpes had woken.

Luckily he had not and she went about pulling from her bag her self-made first aid kit. Inside it was a very clean sharpened scalpel and some more bandages and gauze, as well as some other items, but they would not be needed tonight. She picked the scalpel up with dainty fingers and hovered above the swollen injury with a bit of uncertainty. She'd picked bullets from her body and had self-treated more times than she could count. What made this time so different? It all felt kind of off really, or maybe that was the headache that was boring into her skull from lack of sleep. Dragging her courage to the surface she brought the scalpel down on her skin and sliced down the wound for a few inches, face wrinkling with disgust as the skin split open and out poured a mix of blood, palettes, and pus.

_How the hell did mom do this shit on a regular basis, gross!_

The good thing was that as the repulsive liquid oozed from the cut the pressure she had been feeling began to lessen even more. That would make walking on it so much easier. Using a few pieces of gauze she wiped away the infection until the stream began to slow and then reached to dig through her bag once more. With dismay she found that she had not packed any alcohol, knowing that the Legion looked down upon such things she had left them behind. Now she regretted that, for she could at least use it as a disinfectant, like she needed to do now. _Aw, hell._ She chose the alternative, a bottle of purified water, and poured it over the site until it seemed clean enough. One last piece of gauze was used to dry the area before she administered a stimpak. When the pain from the needle to the already sore wound diminished she set about bandaging it. As she disposed of all the evidence of her late night medical treatment she considered giving herself an injection of med-x as well to help with the pain and assist in sleep, but chose against it.

Her other method was less instant, but still pleasing. She lay on her side and watched her companion sleep, taking in the soft rise of his chest as he breathed and the orange highlights dancing through his dark hair as it was cast by the last of the fire's glowing embers. Much like the night in his tent, that seemed like forever ago really, his features appeared more angular, but unlike then they were smoothed over with slumber and she barely recognized the man who she knew to be a cold-hearted soldier. The smile that graced her lips at the thought of him was wistful. Earlier she had told him she thought he was beautiful. She still thought that now. More than ever.

-X-

Callville Bay glittered before them like an azure jewel as the afternoon sun spilled its rays upon its surface. It was breathtaking and peaceful. No wonder why the area around it was littered with campgrounds and shops and restaurants that had long ago closed their doors for an extended atomic winter. In a way she was glad that those days were gone. The beauty would have somehow been ruined by the presence of so many other people, the sound of cars, the blare of radios as the beach-goers and boaters frolicked. She almost couldn't imagine what life was life before the bombs and for an instant felt a terrible selfishness as she realized she was glad what had happened had indeed happened. Bombs fell, killed millions, probably billions, and then left the survivors struggling. Still, somehow, in her mind, this seemed better that the image in her head of before. She had seen holotapes from back then and didn't see what the fuss was about. Maybe it was just the same stuff, only with a sparkly sheen to just make it seem like it was less ugly.

Vulpes was standing beside her and she was painfully aware of that fact. He, too, was looking out at the water, although she could not read whatever emotion was behind his eyes, if there was any at all. Despite his apathetic appearance she couldn't help but consider how, if they had been more than just a Legionary and a Profligate, this would have been a perfect moment to reach over and touch him, perhaps even kiss him. It was too perfect really, so perfect she was afraid that he would see this, too, and knowing the way her mind worked would guess that she was standing there thinking about it – _like a silly little girl_.

"Well, we're finally here!" She said, breaking the silence. Once the words came out she knew they sounded awkward. "Watch out for lakelurks, will you?"

"What… wait!" He called out to her, but it was too late. She was already running to the end of the dock, fully clothed. Seconds later she disappeared beneath the surface, the only evidence that she had even been there with him at all being her bag by his feet and the ripples tossed up by her entry into the water.

Almost a minute passed as he stood at the end of the dock, eyes flickering over the water and searching for any sign of the girl. She'd left the rebreather and all the equipment with him so she couldn't have been intending on going to the plane already. With a growl he realized that she was playing around and found himself irritated with her. Only a minute piece of him could understand her wish to act like a child at times, while the rest of him just wished she would grow up like the rest of the wasteland.

When she finally did pop her head up, gasping for breath, the biggest smile was on her face. With a laugh she said, "the water feels so cool! You should come in with me."

He frowned at her. "We have work to do."

"Aw, come on. You don't seem to have any fun." She crossed her arms over each other at the end of the dock and leaned her head against them, giving him a pouty look.

"Its already late afternoon, Scarlet," he reasoned with her, "we need to get this finished before the sun goes down. After that it will be difficult to watch for enemies and I dare say it might be impossible to navigate down there."

She thought for a moment. "I guess that's true, but while I get stuff together that doesn't mean that you can't take the time to have a turn out here. It really is great." She went to swat at his ankle in a playful manner but was surprised by his reaction. He took a few steps back, very quick steps, and his usually narrow and calm eyes had flashed wide and uncertainty. The look was gone as soon as it came, but she had seen it and thought she understood. Gripping the dock she pulled herself back up onto the planks and turned to him. "You can't swim, can you?"

_Chaos. Liquid death churned around him, suffocated him. It spilled into his lungs and weighed down his body as he reached desperately for the surface. His hands were small again, not the hands of a man. He wasn't strong enough; he was going to die. _"That's ridiculous." He spat. "Of course I can."

"No you can't. I saw that look." For once she was being the serious one, her lips drawn into a straight line. It had disturbed her, that look on his face. It was so close to fear she thought the world was crumbling around her into anarchy. Vulpes Inculta feared nothing.

"What if I can't? Does that make me seem less to you?" The sneer on his face was one she hadn't seen in a while. All defenses were going up. She was no longer his traveling companion, or the courier he was sent to watch. She was a dissolute again.

"This is the Mojave, Vulpes." Scarlet said softly, hoping his name would bring him back around. "Not a lot of people know how to, or even need to. I actually would have been surprised if you _did._"

"_You_ know." He pointed out, as if to say she was just humoring him.

Scarlet huffed, wringing the water from her hair. "Yeah, I do, but I'm not from the Mojave. I'm from California. Little seaside settlement. Used to be some big-time resort."

He regarded her for a few heartbeats. It was the most she had ever said about herself to him. "How did you end up here?"

Apparently that would be all of Scarlet's history lesson for the afternoon, for she gave him a pained grimace, which might have been her attempt at a forced smile, and replied, "that's a long story, and if you want to really get this done then I suggest we skip it for another time, yes?"

He didn't want to talk about why he didn't like water; she didn't want to discuss her reason for ending up in the Mojave. With a nod he helped her to her feet, "let's get this finished then."

-X-

Everything was ready to go. Vulpes checked the rebreather one last time to make sure all the seals were holding up, and as expected they were. Jack did a good job; the Legionary would give him that. "It seems to be—" He turned to announce his findings but felt the breath catch in his throat. Even though he tended to be a quiet man he had not been struck to speechlessness before. Scarlet had stripped down to her underwear and a threadbare tank top. Beneath the layered clothes she always wore hid an athletic body, just the right mix of muscle and softness. She was delicately curved in all the right places, especially her hips, which were wide enough to be referred to as "child-bearing" but still slender enough to stay in proportion to the rest of her lithe frame. The skin he had been admiring the day before was even more stunning here in the sunlight where he could truly see that the tone had, despite the wasteland's best efforts, remained fairly even with few flaws to tell. In spite of the bra she had on underneath the shirt he could still make out the faint outlines of the pair of pert nipples and had to violently shove down the immediate sense of arousal his body was trying to force on him.

"Huh?" She was strapping on a leather belt for which she had tied the equipment she would need. Her face showed all signs that she was innocently unaware of the thoughts pooling into the crevices in his brain.

He cleared his throat and brushed a hand through his hair. "The rebreather. It seems to be in good shape."

"Delightful!" She chirped. As soon as it was in her hands she made her way to the end of the dock and surveyed the water. "I hope I don't run into any nasty creatures down there."

Vulpes' eyes slid down her back, taking in the curve of her shoulder blades, the gentle slope of her spine as it passed through the small, and onto to the firm shape of her buttocks. He had never been quite sure if the Legion's god Mars was real or not, but in that moment he thought maybe he was, and that he was a merciful god, one who rewarded his flock most generously. If there had been any doubt in his mind that Scarlet would one day belong to him it was flung quite viciously out the window. "I'll watch your back." He told his partner, a devious purr tainting what was supposed to have been a genuine assurance.

-X-

Scarlet walked back and forth along the dock, holding the detonator in her hands and trying to get it to activate. Loyal had told them that when it got the signal from the ballasts it would begin to beep and then they could set it off. She had been at it for a few minutes already, having resurfaced not long before. Vulpes stayed back out of her way, not wanting to interrupt her determined pace. He was beginning to realize that she had an obsession with things that exploded. It tended to lift her mood even higher than it normally was. As of that moment she was humming something, and then the humming turned into singing under her breath.

"_My bonny lies over the ocean. My bonny lies over the sea._" The device stuttered and began the beep. She hadn't stopped in time and had to backtrack a few more paces. Ah! There is was. "My bonny lies over the ocean." She was grinning as she sang and then waved the device along with the words, "Bring. Back. My. Bon-_ny_. To." She lifted it up and pressed the button. "Me!"

Out in the bay the water exploded as the old bomber rose from the blue depths. It seemed to gasp for air as it popped to the surface. Seconds later it settled gently upon the rocking waves. Scarlet was cheering happily. Vulpes thought that he would never be able to understand this woman. Not in a million years. And for some reason he wasn't bothered by it, just mildly amused.

* * *

I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with this chapter at first, but I think Vulpes told me in his own way that he wanted you to know that he was a man, a human one, with insecurities and fears and urges just like all the rest of us. The Vulpes not knowing how to swim thing even surprised me, but after I wrote it an origin story for him came to mind, one that I will, at a much later date, divulge. Regardless of his tragic beginnings he still grew up to be a rather naughty boy. Somehow I doubt he'll ever be punished.

**Next Chapter: A Man About a Dog** - After a few days of celebration with the Boomers for bringing the old lady from the sea from the briny depths Scarlet insists they head up to Jacobstown to see a man about a dog, only instead of being a turn of phrase she means an actual dog. Vulpes meets Rex, Scarlet pisses off some mercenaries, and the two of them play a little game, one with an interesting side bet...


	14. Predator and Prey

Awesomeness: I know! It certainly makes things interesting with the truth out in the open now, just dangling there. Scarlet is kind of reckless, though, so it wasn't too big of a stretch for me to see her actually telling him.

Heulwen: Yes, just more proof, or at least fictional proof, that no matter how tough you are, if you're a man there's still a big baby inside there wanting attention and needing approval. Heh. And I am still playing around with exactly when I will fully reveal the past, but in Scarlet's case it may be very soon, especially with the way this chapter turned out.

Sip Fornicaras: I almost didn't think of it either, the water thing, but then I got to thinking about it and was like, why the heck _would_ people need to know how to swim. Especially with things like lakelurks and the like why would they _want_ to either.

King: Well, hell! You know I almost didn't put that line in the story because it seemed a little over the top at the time, but I'm glad I did. It was just too perfect with Scarlet's needling personality. Sorry I nearly killed you! And I'm glad I'm endearing Vulpes to you (and hopefully others) because part of my intention was to make him and many others within the Legion shine out as more human.

**

* * *

Chapter XIV**

**Predator and Prey  
**

Allying with the Boomers had been a pleasing and subtle affair. It happened at the end of a three-day period in which the Boomers celebrated the bomber they had longed to possess. The two heroes of the hour had been invited to stay and they accepted. Scarlet saw Vulpes' longing to complete his task, and begun to see his impatience was not so much of a disrespect for their hosts but a perfectionism in his work. He was obviously used to getting things done quickly and moving onto the next; no doubt that this drive was what brought him to the top of the Frumentarii at such a young age. Regardless of this she convinced him that this was just another part of their job as ambassadors of goodwill and it paid off in a surprising manner.

A couple times already they had mentioned the war that was brewing on the Boomers' doorstep, but never with intent. This time it was Pearl that brought it up, inquiring what it was the two of them were going to do now that they were finished with their little break form the word, i.e. helping the Boomers out. "To be honest," Scarlet sighed, taking a short sip from her glass, "we'll probably be trying to find out ways to help in the upcoming big blowout." There were touches of apprehension on her face as she said it. She wasn't really a fan of war, but knew it was unavoidable out here. War was something that not even the bombs had been able to strip from mankind. Sadly.

"Big burdens for such nice young people to carry." Pearl told them. The smile she had didn't quite travel all the way to her eyes, where instead there was a little sorrow for them. She reached across the small table they were sitting at and placed one hand respectively on Scarlet's and Vulpes'. "If you ever need anything you let us know. We have the bomber to work on now, but that shouldn't take long with Loyal and Jack on the job. You've shown us immeasurable kindness, of which we intend to repay."

Scarlet found herself unsure in that moment, realizing that Pearl was offering to back them in the battle if need be. She also realized the fact that it wasn't just her, but Vulpes as well that had their gratitude and if they chose different sides in the end it would be explosive. Pushing aside her thoughts she smiled and placed her free hand on top of Pearl's. "I would hate to really ask something like that of you guys, but really, I guess we would appreciate some help there at the end. If we need you we know where to come."

That had been on the second day. On the third they left Nellis to return to the Strip. On their way back Vulpes would mention the same problem Scarlet had thought of. "It would be a shame if you did not choose the Legion now. How terribly inconvenient would that be?" She could not tell if he was mocking her or not.

"Yes, it would be." She told him, "however, you did as much as I did and I don't feel like I would have the right to just rip carefully made allies out from under you. As long as the Legion leaves them alone and doesn't try to take them over, I'll let you have them."

Vulpes considered her words with fascination. How curious a code she must have for her to make that kind of decision. Many would be plotting how to do the very thing she was promising not to do. It was just human nature to desire power and leverage. "Caesar makes the final decisions on that. Yet, we can speak on their behalf; perhaps convince him they're more of use to us left in their Air Base. We have been known to make allies without conquering before – though rarely."

Scarlet just stared at her feet, wondering what was running through his head. He'd met her demand not with rejection, but thought. She hoped he saw the uselessness in trying to attack the Boomers, too, and a small part of her wondered if maybe somewhere in that cold heart of his he had actually began to like them. She would probably never know, but as long as they remained safe and she would not worry about a guilty conscience. Many people in the world deserved horrible fates; the Boomers were not those people.

-X-

"I have to go to Jacobstown."

There was no room for argument in Scarlet's tone as she shoved the last box of dandy boy apples in her traveling bag. For the past few minutes Vulpes had been trying to talk her out of going, or at least postpone the trip until they had returned word to Caesar that the Boomers would not only make good allies, but had agreed to help, in their own way. He had already complained that they'd wasted most of that last day at Nellis because she had wanted to pal around with Janet and some of the other women. She had thought that maybe, despite not being Legion, he might have found something to talk about with the men, but when she got back she found him sitting alone in the tent that they'd shared, reading.

True, she had felt bad for assuming he'd be the social type, yet she also knew it was required for the wound in her leg. One more day hadn't been much in the way of progress, but it had been necessary for her to maintain the story that all was well. To her dismay it was getting worse now instead of better and she hated to admit it, but he had been right all along. She should not have pushed herself like she had. A promise was made to rest after they completed their job with the Boomers and she intended to keep that. First was a bigger promise, one she made to Rex and Doc Henry before she left Jacobstown for the Fort. After that she'd lounge around the Lucky 38 until she could jump up and run a marathon. No one would ever need to know it had gotten as bad as it did.

She zipped up her bag and turned to him. "You don't have to go." After the words were out she thought of her leg and how she might have some difficulty if she ran into trouble. "But watching the way I do things is part of your job, too, right? You've seen me do a job for the Legion, now come watch me do some mundane errands."

Vulpes leaned against her doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. She noticed that the entire time they had been talking he had remained there. "What kind of errands?"

"I have this cyber-dog named Rex," She informed, "and his brain got all fritzy and I had to take him to a specialist there. When I came to the Fort he was undergoing brain surgery. He should be okay now. I told them if I wasn't back by a certain time to send him to his old owner, so I have to get up there and get him pretty soon."

"Shouldn't you at least stop by Crocker's and tell him you've been to see the Boomers?" Vulpes received a dirty look at this question.

"Crocker can wait. The only reason I went to him in the first place was to keep the NCR off my ass. Caesar comes first," and when she saw the smirk on Vulpes face she added, "and not because I've chosen the Legion yet or something, but because I want to punch him in the face less."

"So you want to punch Caesar in the face?" Vulpes said, amused.

"Well, a little." She admitted, holding her thumb and forefinger just centimeters from each other. "Not as much as I want to kick the NCR in the balls though."

Vulpes shook his head, but felt a satisfaction at the image of Scarlet lining up NCR soldiers so they could each have a turn to be kneed in the balls. As a man he felt he should be disturbed by it, but as a Legion officer he wouldn't have to worry about it. "You do know that you're going to join us one day, right?"

"_Come to the dark side…_" Scarlet muttered under her breath. "Yeah, maybe I will. Maybe I won't. Maybe I'll raise my _own_ army and simultaneously kick both the NCR and the Legion out. Oh, but before all that," she grinned wickedly, jabbing a finger into his chest, "I'd kidnap you and turn you into my personal concubine. See how you like that, huh, mister smarty-pants."

Vulpes actually found himself intrigued by her fantastical vision. He gave her points for creativity and boldness, especially when it came to her thinking he'd allow her to dominate him in any way shape or form. With a wry snort he drawled, "as _tempting_ as that sounds, Scarlet, I am hard pressed to see how _you_ could raise an army in such a short amount of time."

Her mouth twitched with annoyance. "I could be a fucking deathclaw whisperer all you know! Onward my frightful minions!" She threw her hand up in the air as she shouted her battle cry.

"_Or_," Vulpes had lowered his voice into a dangerous purr as he stepped away from the door. His eyes locked her in their predatory gleam, which held her immobile until he reached one hand around her to press against the small of her back. "You could forget about your little 'deathclaw army' and let the Legion win. Then we could reverse that fantasy of yours and I could make you mine." He knew he probably shouldn't match her boldness, but he hated to miss an opportunity like this. Knuckles brushed along her jaw until his fingers unfurled to lift her face up. She was trembling beneath his touch, an appropriate reaction from her for once. If she knew what he could do to her if he allowed himself to lose control she'd do more than tremble. The hand at the small of her back traveled upward along her spine until it came to rest on the back of her neck. Then he lowered his head. As her eyes fluttered closed he let his lips skim just barely across hers, nothing more than the touch of butterfly wings.

Without warning he released her and took a step back. He turned towards the door and replied, tone back to being quite conversational, "Then again you've not made your decision yet and we're left to carry on with our work." A shrug with the implication of a mocking 'aw shucks.' "I suppose we should get ready. Never been to Jacobstown, but I'm sure hiking up the mountain will be quite a journey."

Scarlet had nearly fallen over when he let her go, as if he had been the only thing keeping her balance. If looks could kill he would have dropped dead right then and there. She searched the room with flickering eyes for something to throw at him, but found nothing of substantial weight and heaviness to match her frustration. Instead she just gritted her teeth and tried to form a calm reply, one that didn't allow him to realize just how much he had gotten under her skin with that little stunt. "It is. Cazedors, mantises, bighorners, oh my!" She attempted to keep the snarl she felt boiling up from showing, and managed to keep her words to a sarcastic minimum. She would pay him back; she didn't know how yet, but she would goddamnit.

-X-

Super mutants. Why hadn't she told him about the super mutants? Vulpes' first reaction was to reach for his weapon, even though the thought flashed through his mind that it would probably not be sufficient enough to take out that many. He wasn't the type of man to panic, mostly due to the fact that he was cautious and tended to plan for any kind of outcome. This he hadn't been able to plan for. What stopped him from actually pulling his gun was the gentlest of touches on his wrist. Without even looking Scarlet had sensed his tension and diffused it within moments. Seconds later she was jogging ahead and waving her hand in a friendly manner. "Marcus!" She called out to the giant that was walking towards them. "I'm back! How's Jacobstown?"

Marcus, Vulpes found out, had endured a long and historied past and was now the leader of this little super mutant haven in the middle of nowhere. Vulpes didn't think much of super mutants to begin with. They, like ghouls, were just a mistake that nature had made during the time that it was in its greatest upheaval, a mistake that hadn't been rectified yet. Scarlet seemed genuinely pleased to be here among them though and talked briefly with the leader about the goings on as he walked them up to the main lodge where Vulpes surmised they would find her cyber-dog. "Oh, and be careful human, Keene's in a bad mood."

"Keene's always in a bad mood." The petite blond rolled her eyes. She turned her head to Vulpes and explained. "Keene's one of the nightkin. He hates humans, but so far leaves me alone if I do the same for him."

Vulpes nodded, silent, and followed her into the building. To state that it was dark and gloomy would be calling it too bright. If it had been night he had a feeling that she would have had to use her pip boy light or moved around from memory. She immediately turned to the right and headed to an archway passed the stairs. The moment she was through the door he could hear a cascade of raucous barking. "Rexie!"

He approached and saw the girl already on her knees with her arms around the dog's neck. She hugged on him for a few seconds before giving the dog a few firm pats and then lifted herself to her feet. "Greetings and salutations Doctor Henry, how's the furry patient been doing?"

"Quite well, actually," an older man informed her. "I've had to keep him inside though because he'd taken to trying to bother Lily's herd. Misbehavenest cuss I ever did see. I don't know how you do it."

As the two talked Vulpes took to examining the animal with his eyes. It had wandered its way over to him and pressed a cold nose into his palm and was sniffing him. He took a small piece of meat from his bag and held it up. To his surprise the dog settled into a sitting position and whined with anticipation. He lifted an eyebrow but handed it over. It took the piece with an almost dainty manner, teeth barely brushing his skin. He reached out and patted its half-metallic body, eliciting a series of happy pants from the mutt. Eventually the dog came to nudge against his leg and then sat beside him, almost as if he were leaning on him.

"Oh, well, looks like you made a new friend!" Scarlet chuckled when she was finished with her talk.

"He seems to be very friendly." Vulpes noted, absently scratching along the animal's sides.

"Yeah, seems to be doesn't he?" She said, with a touch of nostalgia. "If you're a friend he's all happy like that, but you become an enemy he'll rip your face off." There was a pause as she seemed to relive some of Rex's greatest face-ripping achievements and sighed, "I love that dog."

"I bet you do."

-X-

The nightkin towered above them, expression full of menace and hatred. It was the kind of hatred that the Legion felt for Profligates. That still didn't make Vulpes any more comfortable to know that they had something in common, because like the Legion would not lower themselves to find allegiance with his kind, the nightkin named Keene would not bend to humanity. He and Scarlet had been on their way out when the creature slammed its huge palm onto the doorframe and blocked their path. Scarlet had not even looked up at him, just crossed her arms and continued to look directly at his unnaturally colored torso, as if to say she wasn't afraid and would not lift her head to admit she was smaller. "What is it, Keene?" She growled, more annoyed than anything else.

"You think you can just waltz around here like you own the place, human?"

"I didn't considering walking waltzing, but if you would like I know a few steps."

Keene narrowed his eyes at her. His temper was already flared. "This is no amusement park for your kind. We are not here for you to come and gawk."

It was then that Scarlet looked at him. "I am not here to gawk. I came to pick up my dog. I harbor no _amusement_ at your predicament, or pity. You know I have done what I can to help you, but I can only do so much. Science is not an overnight thing and you must give it time."

"Yes, your _help._ You disappear with Lily for a night and come back empty handed. Worse than empty handed. Your help is not needed. We can do this on our own."

"And that is why many of your brethren are continuing to go crazy as we speak, suffering from split psyches and finding solace in the one thing that is making them worse, that's _killing_ them." She spat. "Yes, as I can see you are doing just _fine_. Now let us pass and we'll be out of your way."

Instead of moving he shifted his body over as she tried to go under his arm. "I should kill you where you stand."

"Then do it." Scarlet flipped her hand. "I tire of these conversations with you anyway. You're like a brick wall, a big loud blue one."

Vulpes' eyes flickered between them, body tensing in preparation for some kind of a fight. He considered on stepping in but didn't know what he would say or do. His companion and this nightkin had a history of long-going animosity and he doubted if he would have the words to end it. Even worse this Keene was dead set on finding something to damn Scarlet with. He was picking a fight, perhaps trying to get her to make the first move, possibly for an example to the rest of the town that humans were horrible creatures. It most likely frustrated him that Scarlet didn't play into his illusions or was afraid of him, because he did try to be frightening. There was an instant where when the rage boiling on Keene's face twisted into something dark and familiar. Vulpes knew he was strongly considering taking Scarlet's offer to kill her right there.

The Legionary had never been so glad for a super mutant to burst through a door way as he was in that moment. "Marcus needs to see you." The mutant said, and from the direction of his eyes and tone everyone knew he was talking to the young woman.

"Hear that, Keene, _Marcus_ needs me." It was a veiled threat. A reminder that Keene didn't run this place, that Marcus did.

"That's right, Marcus' little pet." Keene growled. He then stepped sideways and motioned with his arm to let them pass. The look on his face however was anything but friendly. Scarlet didn't even regard him as she marched passed to follow the now retreating super mutant. That's when Keene dropped his voice to almost a whisper, quite a feat for a mutant, and said, "Marcus won't always be around to protect you."

Scarlet's eyes shot wide open and her calm demeanor vanished. She turned on him, voice full of venom as she hissed, "you do anything to harm Marcus and I promise you I'll hunt you down like an animal and I will enjoy ripping the skin from your bones as you scream."

It was the most graphic threat Vulpes had ever heard outside the Legion. Despite his mind having difficulty in reconciling the image of the small woman in front of him torturing the angry giant it was no less disturbing and Vulpes had a feeling that she would do it. Within her lurked a viciousness waiting to be released. He could sense that so strongly sometimes it hung in the air, dense and almost having form. "Scarlet." Vulpes said softly, placing his hand on her forearm. Her touch had calmed him many times in their journey and perhaps it would do the same for her. She needed to stay focused.

She seemed to snap right out of it, but the ice remained in violet depths of her eyes. "Remember what I said, Keene. I bid you _good day_." A whistle cut through the air, indicating for Rex to follow them, and the three left Keene behind. Whether her words had bothered him or not would remain to be seen.

-X-

Marcus and a few of the other resident super mutants were waiting near the entrance. Their eyes were trained on a few human men that had taken up position near a group of boulders. A few sat around chatting. One man, perhaps their leader, was standing beside the road with his arms across his chest, watching the settlement. "Who the hell are these jack-offs?" Scarlet wrinkled her nose as she evened up with Marcus. Frankly she had had enough idiocy for one day. The anger at Keene was still pulsing through her veins and she wanted him to pay, but knew it was foolish and wrong to try anything on him. So far they'd only exchanged threatening words and as far as she knew that could be as far as it ever went.

"We believe them to be NCR mercenaries." Marcus' replied in his strangely sophisticated cadence. "We do not know for sure why they are here, but we expect it to be because they find us threatening. Lately they have been coming closer. I am concerned that I cannot keep the rest of Jacobstown from acting out against them if this continues."

Vulpes watched the men warily. It did seem like the NCR to poke their nose into other people's business, even if those other people weren't exactly people. Despite the appearance of this city to be quite peaceful he was sure the cowards of the Republic were down there with their tails between their legs, imagining blood and carnage raining down from the mountain. Like anything else they did the NCR had failed to take note of the most obvious of facts. "Why don't you just kill them?"

Marcus looked shocked, but even more so when Scarlet didn't seem to object this idea. Seeing his face she said, "sorry Marcus, I'm just pissed at Keene right now so I got a little bit of red in my eyes."

"He tends to do that." Marcus agreed, and then switched topics again, "I don't want them killed. That would just lend credence to whatever reason they were sent here for. I just want them gone. I thought that since you were a human you could talk to them."

"I could try. Stay here." She told Vulpes.

"What? There are a lot of men out there. You can't go by yourself."

"Yes, I can, and I need you here to cover me in case they do turn on me. You're no good to me if you're caught in the middle of it, too." She gave him a reassuring smile and a wink, her hand patting his arm. "Don't worry, I got this shit."

She ordered Rex to stay with Vulpes and marched passed the entrance towards the waiting men. He could see she was trying to maintain some kind of friendly demeanor as she struck up conversation with its leader. After a few minutes it became apparent it wasn't going to stay friendly, at which point Scarlet grabbed the man by his shirt and yanked him down to whisper in his ear. Whatever she said caused his eyes to widen like plates and he shoved her away; a few seconds later he was motioning for his men to move out. Scarlet lifted her hand as they departed and gave them a mocking wave.

"What did you say to them?" Vulpes inquired as she came back. Her self-satisfied grin told him it must have been something particularly nasty. The way she handled herself sometimes electrified him. The knowledge of how strong-willed she could really be was always buoying against his fantasies of just how much of that she would put away for him when the time came. Would she become his demure little pet, or would she meet him with as much enthusiasm as she did every battle?

"Not in front of the children." She pressed her hands over Rex's ears. The dog didn't understand what was going on and just panted as he rubbed his head against her hand. Turning to Marcus she grew a fraction more serious, "I wouldn't worry about them anymore. They shouldn't bother you again."

"I hope you are right."

"If they do return just send for me. I gave them a warning, and if they're not afraid of what I had to tell them then they are too dangerous to live."

"Some might say that about us." Marcus mused.

"There's a difference between having potential to be dangerous and being a threat. You'd never hurt anyone, not unless they came at you first. Then you'd still feel bad." Scarlet gave him a sad, reflective little smile. "Oh, speaking of which," She dropped her voice, "watch out for Keene."

"Keene wouldn't do anything here. It would be foolish."

"You'd be surprised." She sighed.

"Do you know something?" The super mutant looked rather worried now.

"Uh, not really. Listen, it could have been just words, you know how he likes to mess with me. You're a good friend. Just… don't let your guard down around him. I don't trust him. He might get it in his head he could pull a Tabitha."

Marcus looked grim and nodded. "I will be careful, my friend."

-X-

Despite Marcus' invitation for the three travelers to stay Scarlet declined, telling him they had urgent business elsewhere and needed to get back. Vulpes was thankful for her consideration and they set off. They walked in silence for a while, Scarlet watching the dog as he romped around the road and sniffed at random things. She seemed happy to have him back in her company. "You and Anthony would get along." Vulpes said suddenly. When she tilted her head at him in question he explained. "Anthony is out 'master of hounds.' He trains most of our dogs and breeds them. He's very good at what he does. I think he would find your choice of pet interesting at the very least."

"Hm. I think I've seen him. Goes around with a really big dog by his side."

"That's him and his favorite dog, Lupa."

"Lupa, as in Lupes, like, wolf?" She inquired.

He regarded her with an air of surprise, but nodded, "Yes, as in wolf."

Scarlet dropped her eyes down to the ground, realizing maybe she shouldn't have said that. She still didn't know how much the Legion was aware of their own creation. From the sounds of things they had no idea that Caesar had modeled them after another long-gone civilization. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a stir and they wouldn't have believed her even if she told them that it was the truth. "So, uhm, I'm sorry about earlier," She changed the subject, rubbing the back of her head nervously, "I should have told you about the mutants. I just didn't think about it. I know the Legion doesn't really think positively on them, do they?"

"No. We don't." He answered honestly.

"You know, they're just like everyone else. Well, those like Marcus. They just want to live in peace. It's not their fault what happened to them. As much as I hate to admit it, even Keene has a right to be the way he is to me. Frankly I think they're better than most humans, just for the fact that other humans don't really have a reason to hate me, or attack me, yet they do. Mutants, they just do what it takes to survive."

Vulpes pursed his lips in thought. "I will consider this."

Scarlet smirked at him. "You know I first thought you were going to be this belligerent hard-case that shot down everything I said just because."

"Oh, Scarlet, if I didn't know you any better I'd feel insulted. The mark of an intelligent man is to know that sometimes it is wise to be open to other people's views. You are doing this with the Legion; I felt that I should return the favor and try to see things from your perspective."

Scarlet couldn't tell if he was just saying that to gain points with her, or if he was really truly opening his eyes to a bigger picture. Whichever way it still meant a lot that he said it. Her smirk transformed into a gentle smile and she leaned her head over to nudge his shoulder. "You're not so bad, you know, for Legion scum."

"Or yourself, filthy profligate."

-X-

Their game of chase began innocently enough. In Scarlet's usual excited fervor she made their walk back towards the Strip less boring by spending her time racing Rex around the broken asphalt. They would feint attack each other and then speed off for another round of cat and mouse, or in their case dog and silly human. Vulpes, like always, spent his time the faithful observer. He had never been one for games as it were, but didn't mind if she wanted to play them. He was getting quite use to her antics really, and in his own way actually found them pleasant. She caught him watching them and smiled. "You know, you stand there all serious all the time, why don't you come join us."

"Remember the last time you asked me to come join you for _fun?_" He inquired. He had no intention on joining her. It wasn't anything against her or the act.

"Yes, but I don't see any bodies of water around, even if Rex does sometimes drool." She laughed to herself, amused by her own cleverness. "Make you a deal!"

"What kind of deal?" He still wasn't going to join her. Somebody had to keep an eye out for enemies and mutated creatures, and since she was too busy frolicking it would have to be him. Not that he minded. She provided him with a sense of comfort in her easiness as well as entertainment.

Rex was tugging on her pants leg, making a playful growling noise. She yanked her leg around a little, playing impromptu tug of war. She smiled coyly at him and said with a sing-song cadence, "I'll be your slave for a day."

Vulpes' felt a sudden stillness within him. It took him a moment to realize that he had stopped walking, and that the thundering in his ears was the sound of his heart bursting back into motion after a brief delay as she caught him by surprise. He still hadn't recovered when she continued on.

"If you break out of the serious shell of yours for just a little while, that is. One game. That's all."

"What kind of a game?"

Mischief spread in her eyes. "Well, Mr. Fox, why don't you _hunt_ me? If you can find me and capture me… I'll give you that day. If you can't within the allotted time and I make it back up to the road here… well, better luck next time. So what do you say? Willing to relax a bit and have a little fun, or you going to continue to be a big curmudgeon?"

The most dangerous smirk she had ever seen appeared on his lips and he replied, voice as dangerous as that smirk, "why, Scarlet, what a fascinating offer. Just know what you're getting into with that offer."

"Oh, I think I know." She grinned. "But this isn't going to be easy. I'm pretty fast and stealthy. Good luck on actually finding me."

She had no idea. How cute. "I'll give you to the count of twenty – just to make it interesting. Wouldn't want it to be _too_ easy now."

She rolled her eyes, "yeah, uh-huh, sparky, let's go."

"One." He said.

For a moment she seemed to freeze. Had she expected them to just keep talking?

"_Two_." He emphasized the word and tilted his head as if to say, "get going."

"Shit." She muttered and finally took off into the surrounding woods, Rex close at her heels.

"THREE!" He said a little louder, so she could continue to hear him. When the sounds of her movements began to grow faint he lowered his voice and whispered the numbers to himself until he came to, "_Twenty_." _ My darling little fool, what have you gotten yourself into?_

-X-

As soon as Scarlet crashed into the underbrush she knew this was not going to be as easy as she had thought. Perhaps if she hadn't been injured she wouldn't have to be so careful. She cursed her own mouth as she hoisted herself over a fallen tree. Rex went under it. Thankfully he was being quite the good boy today and remained quiet the entire way. She leaned against another tree, this one much younger, and still alive, so she could rest her leg. "I'm an idiot, Rexie," she told her companion. Then another thought crossed her mind, one much darker than what would happen if Vulpes caught her. What if she lost her way and couldn't find the road. Even with her pip-boy sometimes it was hard to tell which direction to go. The thought of being lost in the forest wouldn't usually upset her, but anything could happen with the creatures up here. If she got hurt even worse there would be no way out.

"Yes," she said with finality, "I'm an idiot."

Rex whined. Suddenly he took off, leaving her all alone. She tried to call him back with a series of harsh whispers, but he took no heed. Probably found a mole rat or something. _Damnit._ The last thing she needed was to lose her dog, right after getting him back, too. She rubbed her aching leg, but let go after a few seconds when she realized it wasn't helping her as much as making the pain worse.

_Crack._ A sound off in the distance. Her head snapped towards the sound. It was the familiar dull echo of a boot snapping a stick somewhere. Hn, could he be so careless? Was he just playing games with her head now? Propelling herself off her tree she ran further into the forest, dodging behind bigger trees and boulders. She didn't see the shadow moving along higher ground, following her steps with dogged grace.

Just when she thought she found the perfect hiding spot so she could check her pip-boy to see if she could make it back to the road she was overcome by a sense of apprehension. She knew the impending doom feeling very well. It was the same one she had felt before Benny had swaggered up to her and sweet-talked her into going someone alone. And by alone he meant where a bunch of Great Khan's were waiting to knock her unconscious so he could steal the chip and shoot her in the head. She frowned at that memory, and also remembered that she had promised herself that she would never let another man manipulate her like that again.

_Well, there goes that damned promise._

She shut her pip-boy down and started to get up to go find another place to hide. That's when the hand came out of nowhere and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her against a tree. For a few seconds she struggled until she heard Vulpes' voice, "Game Over."

He came out from behind the tree and circled around in front of her, keeping her pinned there the entire time. Despite the game being over, as he had put it, the look of a predator stalking its prey was still very much alive in his eyes. The same wolfish grin he'd had back in her suite at the Lucky 38 resurfaced and he seemed so much like his namesake it frightened her. One of his hands came to rest on her waist as he slid his body up against hers. They'd been close before, but never like this. He didn't merely just brush his hips against hers, but captured them there. For a few moments, even through the hard, thick material of his clothing she thought she could feel…

Scarlet wasn't a child, but the blush that crept across her cheeks made her feel like one. It was getting much too difficult to keep her composure. Not with the pressure of his hips grinding against hers, or the hard muscle of his torso flush to her breasts. A dark chuckle rumbled through his chest as he lowered his head beside hers, and then nudged it to the side. She felt his lips on her skin first, skimming down the side of her neck to the find the pulse of her jugular vein. Then she felt the sharp points of his teeth. He nipped once to test her reaction. After her soft gasp she felt him smile against her neck before he laid into her flesh, grabbing a fistful of hair in one hand to ensure his work surface remained at his disposal. Later she would note with astonishment that never once did he break her skin, but in the furious rush of hormones she could swear he was devouring her.

A moan broke from her lips. "_Yeah fuck that deathclaw army…" _ She breathed, and between his vicious nips she thought she heard him chuckling again.

"You know," he finally said lips brushing against her assuredly mauled flesh, "if I had been a real fox, and you my prey, I would have ripped your throat out." The caress of his tongue made her shiver, even more so when he blew a slow, controlled breath across the wet area. His second attack was less ferocious but no less exciting. This time he didn't just bite her skin, but found patches he liked well enough to suck on. Each time he worked his way lower, down her shoulder, across her collarbone. She closed her eyes and didn't even hide the soft mewls that rolled up through her. Instead she just clung to him, one arm around his back where she fisted the fabric of his shirt, the other lifting so her fingers could stroke through the thick, dark locks that had now drifted down to frame his face.

In that moment, if Caesar had popped up and asked if she wanted to join the Legion she would have said yes.

Unfortunately it wasn't Caesar that appeared. It was Vulpes that first noticed that they were not alone. He slowly withdrew himself from her body and began to survey their surroundings with caution. The slight tilt of his head told Scarlet he was also listening. He had heard something, a something unnatural to this environment. He could have sworn – no he _had_ heard the sound of a gun. It had been the sound of a hammer being drawn back. "Scarlet," he said, "We have to move."

"What's wrong?" Even as she asked she was doing as she was told. There were just some expressions you didn't argue with. The one on his face at that moment was one of them. They were in danger.

"What's wrong," said a new voice, one belonging to a man that was now stepping out of the twilight shadows, gun trained on the pair, "is a little bitch like you thinking she can threaten me and my team." It was the leader of the group of mercenaries from back at Jacobstown. "Also—" He nodded towards Vulpes and one of his men came out of the darkness behind him and pressed a blade to his chest. Vulpes' hand was already halfway to a hidden weapon of his own. "Wouldn't do that if I were you."

From out of the woods came his entire team, making five total, including him. They had completely surrounded them. One of them held Rex by his collar. Although unhurt Scarlet's eyes widened. "Let go of my dog you bastards!"

Norton swiveled his gun to her, "shut your mouth! I should shoot you on sight for what we overheard." At first Scarlet looked puzzled and then her face melted into horror. "Yes, that's right. We've been following you ever since you left. I know who you are; you're that Courier everyone and their mother have been talking about. They _praise_ you all over the place. I wonder what they would say if they found out you were traveling with this Legionary?" He walked up to her and shoved the bandana on her head a few inches higher to confirm his suspicions. "_Hn_." He turned and walked back a few steps, "what we got here, boys, is a traitor to peace and freedom!" He gave his men a little laugh. "And him," he pointed at Vulpes, "maybe we should hang him up like his fellows do ours?"

Scarlet's face paled and her eyes flickered to him. Vulpes' eyes showed no emotion, but a small tick in the corner of his mouth told her he was fighting control as well as trying to figure out a way out of this.

"Hey, boss, you said we could have a little bit of fun with her. That's still the plan, right?" One of the other men said, his eyes following the curves of her body with one vulgar sweep. She felt disgusted.

"If you want, but it already looks like she's had a bit of fun."

Scarlet's hand fluttered up to her neck where she knew Vulpes must have had to leave some marks.

"You know," Norton said, a fake kind of sorrow written on his face, "it saddens me that a pretty little girl like you would defile herself by letting trash like him touch you."

"He's not trash!" Scarlet spat angrily. "He's more of a man than you'll ever be!" She didn't know why she was so readily defending him. As far as she knew he was just using her to advance the Legion. He wasn't her lover. She wasn't even sure if he was her friend. That still didn't change her own feelings, which were slowly coming into focus. She hadn't wanted to admit it, but she was falling for him, and fast. She wouldn't let this assholes hurt him. She narrowed her eyes, "and I'll die rather than let any one of you put your hands on me!"

"Very well." Norton said. The gun he carried lifted towards her, and everything went into chaos. The shot that would have landed in her heart barely skimmed her shoulder as Vulpes shoved the man with the knife to his chest away and grabbed her arm. He then pushed her back into a safer position and rounded on the mercenary, hit boot making a sick, cracking noise as it slammed into the man's head. She was pretty sure with the leverage he got and the angle that he'd broken the man's neck.

Scarlet pulled her own weapon, her .357, and aimed for Norton, but he had turned and started to retreat. Instead she turned it on the mercenary who asked if they could use her as a plaything and fired three rounds into his skull. She had only needed one, the last two she gave for free.

"Let go of the lady's dog." Vulpes sneered at the last man standing. He had already dispatched two. The man trembled, his hand coming loose from Rex's collar as he turned to run. Scarlet mercilessly put a bullet through his chest. She had no qualms shooting a man in the back; not if they deserved it.

"Rex," Scarlet hummed, and then dropped her voice to an eerie cold, "_**Kill**_."

The man's screaming echoed through the coming blackness. The sun was almost gone now. Gone, like Norton. She looked at Vulpes and he nodded at her with a hiss, "the leader's mine." She agreed and they tore into the trees in pursuit of the man that could bring all their plans crumbling down. The man who threatened to hang Vulpes up like one of his lessers. Scarlet realized as they chased him through the dark that she had begun to think like him. She would have to figure out if that was a good thing or not later.

-X-

They caught up with Norton at the edge of a ravine. Vulpes reached out and yanked the man backwards and tossed him to the ground. He placed his boot on his chest, "surrender your weapons." Norton did as asked and dropped his gun at his side. Scarlet rushed and retrieved it. When Vulpes gave her a nod she checked his body for any hidden items. She found only some NCR money and a plasma grenade, which she pocketed for herself.

"All clear." She announced.

Vulpes dragged the man to his feet and walked him back to his dead comrades. "You don't have to watch this," He told Scarlet as he placed his gun back in its holster and produced his favored weapon, his ripper.

She shook her head. "I'll watch." This man had almost killed them, agreed to let his men rape her, and threatened to return and tell everyone she was a traitor. No, she wanted to see the end of him, no matter how bad it was, and she knew it was going to be bad because Vulpes' eyes were vicious.

"You fucking whore!" Norton screamed.

"At least I won't be fucking _dead_ in a few minutes!" She screamed back at him.

"I want you to know that the reason I am going to do what I am about to do isn't just because you're a profligate, or even because you tried to kill us. I'm going to do this because of what you were going to let your men do to her." He nodded at Scarlet. "You wonder why our people are at war? It's because you're lesser than scum. You are animals that cannot be reasoned with. You _take_ without giving. We conquer only because we know the truth: that humanity will never find peace until it is unified under one flag." His hatred melted away as his eyes fell on Scarlet one last time, "last chance."

"Make it hurt." She whispered, wrapping her arms around her body. Everything ached and her leg was throbbing so hard she thought she was going to cry. The smell of death was dense in the air, which should have made her sick, but it only made her want more.

Vulpes nodded, understanding. "I plan to."

She wondered if any man had felt a pain greater than this mercenary as he died. She hoped if they had that they were just as vile. It seemed like forever his screams went on. At first he begged for mercy, mercy he would not have shown the two of them. Then he just screamed. Through it all Scarlet stood immobile, watching the torture Vulpes wrought upon their enemy. She also begged for forgiveness from whatever god existed, if one did at all, because she was surely damned for enjoying this.

When it was finished Vulpes stripped the men of any possessions that might have given away their identity and then used one of the men's knives to cut their faces and make them unrecognizable. They both knew that the odds of them being found were astronomical, but he was careful and she did not object. After that they walked in silence back to the road and turned towards the strip. That's when Scarlet finally spoke again, her voice sounding so small in the pressing night.

"This was all my fault. I'm sorry."

Even though Vulpes could not see her face clearly in the dark he knew there were tears in her eyes, because he could hear them in her voice. "I don't see how this is your fault."

"I'm the one who pissed them off. I'm the one who dared you to that game where we dropped our guard. If we would have been paying attention they wouldn't have snuck up on us."

"We might have also never known that they were trailing us and could have possibly just followed us back to the Strip instead of trying revenge. Then they would have gone to the NCR, or to Crocker, and you would be branded a traitor and hunted down. In a way the mistake ended up being a good thing in the end. Now they can never tell anyone."

"You don't understand." She stopped, burying her face in her hands. "This always happens! I'm like some cursed rabbits foot or something. People die around me, Vulpes, and you almost did, too."

"This is the wasteland. People die." He wasn't very good at comforting people. It wasn't exactly something that was needed within the Legion. You were either strong enough to handle life or you weren't.

"No… not like… fucking hell. Never mind." She shook her head.

"I am not going to die." He told her. "Better men than them have tried and I'm still here. We have a job to do and I plan to see it to its completion. Even if I do die it will be in the glory of battle, for which you are not to shed a tear for, do you understand me?" He turned his head to look at her. "It is a pointless thing to do. What was it you told House before you killed him? That holding onto the past leaves you dead inside? Well, if you really believe that then you'll let it go. And if I die you'll let me go, for when I'm gone I will be your past – and it would be a shame for me to be the reason you crumbled."

She didn't know what surprised her most, the fact he was trying to make her feel better, the way that he was unarguably right, or the fact that he remembered something that far back. He had been listening to her this entire time. "Vulpes…"

"Promise."

She sighed. "Okay." It was a lie, because she knew that if he died she would grieve. She didn't know if she would ever stop. And in her mind she heard the ghostly whispering of the past, of something that still haunted her and she closed her eyes against it.

_He'll come back soon, you'll see, and then everything will be fine again._

But everything wouldn't be fine. It wasn't fine then and it sure as hell wouldn't be fine if it ended the same way now. "Let's just go home." She said emotionlessly, not knowing if by home she meant the Strip or the Fort. She didn't feel like she knew anything anymore.

* * *

This is the longest chapter to date being 15 and a half pages long (in case anyone was interested). I also changed the title because originally it might have fit a little better, but after the way this turned out "Predator and Prey" just worked better despite not sounding so creative. Sorry for the length if you hate long chapters. It just happened.

**Next Chapter: Weak and Powerless** - Upon returning to the Strip Scarlet is surprised to learn that the NCR has captured a Legionary named Silus and is having trouble interrogating him. Vulpes urges them to go and despite beginning to feel extremely under the weather she agrees. Can she reconcile herself with what she has to do, or will she finally break under the strain of her secret?


	15. Weak and Powerless

**Author's Note**: So sorry for the chapter being so late, but it gave me so much trouble. I almost posted the original version, which was 14 pages long, but I was extremely unhappy with it. Thanks to _TheEnigmaticStranger_ for helping me figure out I just needed to give it a little time and I would know what to do with it.

**Edit**: I posted up the original ending to this chapter in my blog thingy if you want to see what happened to Silus in it. Very different. Just follow he blog link in my profile and it should be the first post. Excuse the mess on the blog I'm still trying to get it set up the way I want it.

Awesomeness LOL. Yays, I got an epic, no a MEGA epic! ^_^ Sweet.

Ford B Its definitely worth it!

LadyoftheKnightt Aw, cool. I've never had someone make an account just for one of my stories before. And thank you about Vulpes. He's a tough nut to crack when it comes to figuring out how to write him but that makes it so much fun!

Sip Fornicaras Yeah, I know. -sadface- Bad mercenary guys. But the two of them will eventually get to finish what they started. I doubt Vulpes won't forget any time soon the details of their little deal.

Function Thankfully, no, the leg thing won't cause her death, but it is quite serious. Ironically it will be the forefront of both this chapter and the next. Vulpes a tease? - why yes, the precious little sadist. That was probably the funniest thing to write, especially in her own little way Scarlet kind of deserved it for as frustrating as she can be sometimes. Oh, and originally I was going to have Curtis in this chapter, but it just didn't go as planned (boo!) but I assure you he'll play a bigger part later as will Scarlet's involvement within both the Legion and the NCR. And yes, I just can't turn down a good chance like this to throw in some espionage.

TheEnigmaticStranger VIOLENCE! I'm sorry, did I break your concentration? (Sorry, shameless movie quotage; I really need to reign in the urge to throw Tarantino one-liners around...) But no really, lol. Fanfiction: keeping kids from paying attention in schools since... _whenever the heck fanfiction was invented_.

Personperson Yay, I'm awesome! I swear with reviewers like you my humble ego is going to fly right out the window. ^^

Pacificuser Thanks!

ThisLegofMine So the Legion _was_ looking to branch out their weaponry. Nice to know.

And thanks for all the faves and alerts everyone!

* * *

**Chapter XV**

**Weak and Powerless**

"You want me to _what_?" Scarlet's head pounded along with the sound of her raised voice. The migraine she had been suffering from since the night before had not receded; in fact it was getting worse. At first she had attributed it to the nightmares that had kept waking her up all through the night, because nothing threw of her system like having her sleep interrupted like that. It had been hard enough to rest after returning to the Lucky 38, even though she knew that she and her traveling companions were safe. The memory of their near-fatal ambush in the forest stuck like stale peanut butter to the roof of her mouth and coated her throat, leaving both a bad taste and an incredible thirst. _Or maybe the thirst had something to do with this heat. Was it this goddamned hot yesterday?_ That had to be a better culprit since the peanut butter was just a metaphor and not actually real, therefore unable to cause any true physical discomfort. Absently she pulled at the collar of her shirt and it wasn't so much to fan herself as to rid the feeling of constriction it was causing against her sore neck.

That morning she had just considered saying fuck it and sleeping in. Since before they'd even met the Boomers she had been running nearly non-stop. Her exhaustion was becoming quite apparent and her body was betraying her, its usual stamina and energy nowhere to be found. She felt like a robot whose battery was running low and couldn't find a charger station. _Yeah, that's it; I'm sick – or going insane._ She had compared herself to one of those bucket of bolt bastards she hated so bad. The thought had caused her some emotional discomfort and she had whined miserably at the breakfast table, earning her a peculiar glance from Vulpes over the top of the glass he had been holding to his lips.

At the current moment in time Scarlet wished she had just crawled right back into bed and told Vulpes she was taking the damned day off. In a way that was probably what he _had_ wanted if she was reading his lingering gazes correctly. Of course it was hard to misunderstand the dry comment of, "the Legion doesn't need a lame Courier," he'd thrown at her on the way over to the Embassy. If only he had said that sooner, but as it were the gates had been in view by this point so she'd shrugged and went on. They were already there so she might as well get the talk with Crocker over with. Smile and nod and lie about what happened with the Boomers and then she and Vulpes could go on with their day happily, or in Vulpes' case whichever unreadable emotion he happened to be feeling at the time. But no! Crocker had to open his mouth and request a favor from her, _Oh Almighty Courier who protecteth this land, aid us in our quest!_ Ok, so it didn't happen exactly like that, but it seemed just as ridiculous.

The NCR had a lot of damned nerve.

According to Ambassador Crocker they had a new problem they wanted her to take care of. The problem's name was Silus and he was a Legion soldier – a _Centurion_ of all things – that had been captured during the latest skirmish between the two factions. This, he explained, was a rare occurrence because most of them just killed themselves instead of being taken. This guy was different, but despite everything he refused to talk to them. They wanted _her_ to go interrogate him (like she had any background in that sort of thing) – and not just interrogate him but torture him if need be. Crocker hadn't said that in so many words but he implied it by stating that since she was a contracted outsider and not associated with the NCR in any official capacity that she could get away with a lot more things than they could, therefore having more ways to get the information out of him.

_Really?_

"I'm sorry to ask you this, Miss Hugues, but I cannot express enough how important this is. Capturing one of their men is nigh unprecedented. I'd almost say we were meant to come across him. We could always get someone else to do the job, although I would ask that you remain silent about what we have discussed today." Crocker told her. He seemed pretty genuine when he wanted to, but that was a politician for you.

Vulpes' hand had been on her knee throughout the entire conversation; she couldn't tell if he did this out of some unconscious nervousness at being around the NCR for so long or if he just felt like touching her. Considering their near romp in the wood the night before she could begin to count the latter as a option now. He was getting bold and possessive. She knew that look in his eyes right away when he had torn that mercenary apart. It was foolish to believe that was the only reason he had tortured him the way he did, for Vulpes was truly a sadist at heart, but she had no doubt in her mind that it was definitely one of the most prominent. In that moment she felt his fingers squeeze her leg right above her knee. She forced herself to ignore the way her muscles tensed and screamed in pain; that touch shouldn't have hurt her that much. Despite the interference her brain took in the signal and understood his secret message perfectly.

"I'll do it." Scarlet said with a heavy sigh. "But I won't have to like it. I don't want to get mixed up with this affair, you hear me? They have spies everywhere, you know? You told me that yourself. What makes you think that I'm going to risk my hide over nothing? Them Legion boys hear I beat up one of them and all of a sudden I have a price on my head." She leaned back in her chair with an air of nonchalance, her eyes traveling to her hand where she pretended to pick at some dirt under one nail with another.

"Are you asking for payment?" Crocker seemed surprised. "Surely you realize the atrocities that these men are capable of! Information gleaned from this man could help save lives in the future! The payment should be the knowledge of that."

She snorted; that was the kind of lesson parents taught their children but knew better than to believe themselves because the world just didn't work that way. "You think reminding me of what they can do will _change_ my mind? It's the reason I'm asking what else you have for me. I was in Nipton; remember? _I_ was the one who reported the massacre. _I_ was the one who had to stand face to face with their leader as he explained every lurid detail. Don't assume to tell me about the Legion like I think they're a bunch of preschoolers."

Vulpes' eyes flickered to her face as she spoke. He was deeply amused by her reference to him, especially due to the fact that he was sitting right there. And something about the way she almost purred about him granted him a measure of satisfaction that spread warmly throughout his chest: pride. It was not only for his own deeds, but for hers as well. She had spread the tale of Nipton's destruction. Curious, for that was something that _he_ had told her to do, not the NCR. "How long have you had the prisoner?" He spoke up suddenly, turning his attention to the Ambassador.

Crocker regarded him carefully. He had known, of course, that Vulpes was present (though he naturally had no clue as to his real identity), but until that moment had not had to deal with the Courier's silent partner. "Two or three days at most."

"The longer he stays confined the more comfortable he will grow with his surroundings." Vulpes said to Scarlet. He could see the Ambassador's face redden slightly at being so easily dismissed. "At that time he will be too hard to break. If you are going then perhaps we should be on our way."

Scarlet gave a small discontent sound as she rose. "I will do this for you, Crocker, but I do not intend on becoming a target for Caesar's Legion. If they come after me then that is the end of my services for the NCR. Do we understand one another?"

Crocker nodded. "We shall ensure your safety. I will order that no one be told why you are there that needn't. Go meet with Lieutenant Carrie Boyd. She will take you to Silus."

-X-

"Is it true that you kill yourselves before being taken in battle?"

They had not spoken for most of the trip towards Camp McCarran. Crocker had given them both passes to the train, which she was thankful for. Scarlet didn't feel like she would have been able to handle the walk over to the base with as bad as she felt. The entire way she could sense a building up of tension in Vulpes' posture. At first she believed he was upset because the NCR had caused the deaths of more of his comrades, but as he continued to stare out the window in silence she began to notice the tightly set jaw line, the malice rising up behind his eyes, and hands that periodically clenched and unclenched. He was angry because Silus had _survived._

"Its an honorable death." Vulpes replied through gritted teeth. "A death that Silus will not receive." He had known Silus; he had _thought_ he had known Silus.

"He should have killed himself then, instead of hoping for an escape?" She prodded, meaning to only test his reaction. She did so gently. "I mean, the one thing we all share is the desire to live."

"Our numbers have been decreased considerably since the failure at Hoover Dam, and it is regretful that we must insist upon such drastic measures, but when we are all but men and nothing more. We break under pressure, even the best trained. A few men's lives are nothing compared to the _thousands_ that are at stake if just one of them lives to be forced to talk – or worse, offers to betray our cause in exchange for their own life. So yes, he should have killed himself. Perhaps that is a strange concept to you: having something so important to you that it is worth more than your own life."

Scarlet allowed a bittersweet smile to cross her features. "I understand." The train was grinding to a stop. "What would you have me do?"

"If there is a way, he must be silence before any harm is done. Preferably killed. Though I would enjoy taking him back to Caesar for proper punishment it would put both of us at risk if we tried to get him out. Also, the thought of him living any longer… If only other cowards had his luck." Vulpes sneered.

It was an easy thing to suggest, but pulling off the murder of a Legion officer, even on NCR territory, was going to be difficult, especially under the circumstances. She couldn't just walk in and point a gun to his head. That would look just a might suspicious. She would have to go in and play it by ear for a while and hope to God something presented itself.

-X-

Lieutenant Carrie Boyd seemed like a no nonsense sort of woman. She exuded a strength and confidence of character that Scarlet would expect from a female soldier. Lt. Boyd also seemed frustrated, fatigue hanging over her person like a dark cloud as the pair approached her. She had been in the middle of a heated conversation with another soldier and it appeared that it was taking everything she had not to just scream out at the top of her lungs at him. Scarlet waited until the argument was finished before reaching out her hand and touching the other woman's shoulder. The NCR officer spun around, exasperation written across her features as she said, "This is a restricted area. If you don't have proper clearance or business here then I would advice you leave." By her demeanor both Scarlet and Vulpes could tell that she hadn't broken her prisoner yet.

Which meant they were in luck.

"Well, that's good for us because we do." Scarlet grinned at the woman, stretching out her hand. "Scarlet Hugues, also known as the courier who rose from the grave. Crocker sent me over here to—" She lowered her voice and leaned in a little closer, "—you know, help with your little Legionary problem."

Boyd's eyes widened as Scarlet introduced herself and then softened considerably at why she was there. "Thank goodness. I've just about had it. I don't know what else to do with the man. He refuses to speak about anything of importance, and when he does open his mouth its to insult us, especially me." She motioned for them to follow her through a doorway as she spoke. "I hope that you'll be able to get more out of him that me."

"I've been known to be very persuasive when I want to be." Scarlet informed. She turned her head to look at the man in the cell, who stared straightforward, almost statuesque. _This_ was Silus? He looked a little older than Vulpes, but couldn't tell by much. For some reason the thought of him being a Centurion seemed ridiculous to her and she didn't know why. Maybe it was because he seemed so youthful, not necessarily young, but more inexperienced than any of the other Centurions she'd met thus far. She wondered if it was a recent rank promotion or if he was just lucky. He certainly wasn't lucky now, was he?

Scarlet went in alone. Vulpes watched her as she lifted her hand to the cell door, hoping she had the heart to do what needed to be done. "Be right back, kiddies. Momma has to go punish one very bad little boy."

-X-

"So, one woman can't do it so she sends in another one." Silus sneered up at her. Scarlet held back the urge to roll her eyes at the man – or punch him in the face. She was more than used to this behavior by being around the other Legionaries, even if it was brief, but he didn't know that, which made this whole charade that much more fun to her. It shouldn't been fun; in fact, it should have scared the hell out of her to be in this cell trying to find a way to kill this man. Instead she only smiled back at him.

"Well, perhaps the NCR thought it would be a little unfair to put a man in here to interrogate you, what with the unfortunate circumstances surrounding your capture…" She leaned against the far wall, picking at that invisible dirt under her nails again. Silus just narrowed his eyes at her, catching the small trailing off of her comment, knowing that there was more to that. Her gaze lifted to him and she added, "you know the one where your balls and scrotum fled in terror as the NCR bore down on you, causing the eventual shriveling of your manhood and effectively making you a woman."

"Watch your tongue, degenerate." Silus growled. He almost came out of his chair. He had a fiery temper; it was too bad that he hadn't used some of that fire to escape from the NCR's clutches before he got into this mess or maybe lead his men to victory rather than ruin.

She scowled. "At least being a degenerate is better than being a coward. I mean, what kind of soldier lets his men perish while he quivers in fear and lets himself get led away by the enemy. Here I was under the impression that the Legion was supposed to be some big bad army, but maybe they're just a bunch of pussies – or is that just _you_?"

"I will not tolerate this kind of talk from a woman." The Centurion snarled. He was now on his feet and his hand was around her throat before she could move. He slammed her into the wall and agony exploded through her nerves. For a few seconds her vision burst into a field of white dots. Scarlet was temporarily bathed in the bliss of obliviousness; it was that time that your body shut down from pain, but wasn't exactly like blacking out. It only lasted for a few seconds at most before reality blasted back into her mind and with it the pain. Her entire body screamed and her lungs gasped for air and the only thing she could think of was more of an instinctual action.

She rammed her knee up into his groin. A sharp hiss broke through her hazy muffled hearing as he fell away from her, "_whore_," and allowed her to plant her boot in his chest and knock him back to the ground. Of course, if it hadn't been for the leverage the wall had given her, the movement would have been impossible and she would have fallen to the floor. One instant left her swaying and then the next she forced herself to stand straight and step towards him. Her eyes were still watering and the back of her head, neck, and shoulders were throbbing something horrible, sending more signals to the rest of her pain receptors; her body was in rebellion today, the damned thing.

It was a miracle that she found the balance to do what she did next, which was place her right heel on the floor between his legs and the end of her boot against the bulge of his manhood. She had shifted all her weight onto her left leg and locked her knee in place. Scarlet knew that perhaps this was a little dirty fight-wise, but Silus had an advantage against her – two, really. The first was that he was a man, which made him physically stronger than her. She wasn't an idiot when it came to things like that. _Most_ men were stronger than women; they were built like that. The second was that Silus was not sick like she was. So she used her brain to even out this equation. Silus seemed to understand that, too. Both of them knew that all she had to do was shift her weight back onto her right leg and he would be in excruciating pain.

"Don't move, asshole." She told him, rubbing her sore throat. "You don't scare me and don't think you can." She tilted her right foot just enough to put pressure on his already sensitive bits. His body tensed and she noticed the flickering of discomfort in his eyes. "Don't think of me as a woman, Silus. Think of me as a ghost. I'm a vengeful spirit come to exact pain on my enemies. Don't make yourself my enemy. Tell me what I want to know."

"What the fuck do you want to know?"

"How a coward like you could have ever gotten a rank as high as Centurion just baffles me." Scarlet said honestly.

"What would you know about cowardice, profligate? Speaking from experience." He spat, still trying to be intimidating as she was perched over his jewels – maybe _because_ she was doing just that. He was foolish, but she gave him points for being bold.

"More than you can imagine." She answered. "And I also know about courage, though, which is not leaving your men to die and then escaping to merely survive in the prison of your enemy. What do you expect to get out of this? You're already dead. Just give up."

For a moment his eyes flickered over the phrase 'you're already dead' like he was trying to figure it out. It was a strange comment she supposed looking back on it. Strange if one didn't know the Legion apparently didn't look kindly on their men not offing themselves when they were supposed to.

Silus struggled and she pressed harder on him, causing him to scream at her. "You can't do this!"

"Can't do what?" She hissed, fully agitated now. Every inch of her skin burned as if she were on fire from the inside out. She could feel the sweat pouring down her face and feel the clammy wetness that had collected in the bandana on her forehead. Her stunt with Silus had exhausted her further and she just wanted to get this over with and go home. "Hurt you? Because I don't work for the NCR! Their rules on prisoner treatment don't apply to me." She twisted her foot and he shrieked.

The pain must have been incredible; it also must have been the catalyst for chaos because he grabbed her leg – the sore one – and gripped as tight as he could. Now _she_ was the one screaming in pain and it shot straight up through her body to her brain and told it that it was time for lights out. Her world was turning black before the back of her head hit the tile floor. Outside she heard Boyd shouting.

-X-

Something was wrong with Scarlet. Vulpes didn't know what it was, but even in just the small amount of time they had been traveling together he had been able to mentally file all of her habits. He knew her fighting style, the way she talked to people, and mostly the way she held herself. The girl inside that cell was not the Scarlet he knew; she looked too haggard for this time of the morning, her skin was flushed but pale at the same time, and she moved as if the tiniest thing hurt her. She was hiding whatever was wrong with her well enough to escape even Boyd's trained eye, but she couldn't fool him. In fact, the last few days had passed him by with mild concern, which worsened that morning when he noticed she was limping again and now she was showing signs of illness. It was all beginning to make sense now.

The logical part of his brain, the one that made him a soldier, a _leader_, was finding the entire situation very irritating. He shouldn't have to remind a grown woman to take care of herself, much less a woman like Scarlet who should definitely know better than to let her injuries go. Then again she had a horrible habit of ignoring her own personal discomforts in the pursuit of whatever endeavor she happened to be on at the moment; the problem with this was that she was constantly on some kind of mission and never took time to even take a breath between jobs. Even Legionaries had their off-time to recuperate from battle, or at least the officers did. He remembered what it was like to be in the lower ranks, just a skirmisher, someone expendable. Vulpes might have been the leader of the Frumentarii now, but he wasn't always, and back then he had been lucky to survive his time as a foot soldier. His actions had been necessary; Scarlet's were foolish.

However, even as he felt the first bubbling sensation of anger at her choices time with her had reawakened another part of him. It was the one that allowed him to do his job so well, the part that could understand that other point of view whether he accepted it or not. Vulpes had always been able to see the other side of things and had always had the ability to stay emotionally separated from that as well. It was this that allowed him to ignore the pleas of the newly captured, tune out the screams of the crucified, even gain pleasure from it, while every second being able to put himself in their shoes – because if he could do that, know what made them tick, it made the Legion's job that much easier. Now he was looking at the girl on the other side of the glass and tried to do the same thing; he was finding it difficult, and that was disconcerting.

Over a week should have been more than enough time for him to make a judgment about someone. He was no closer to knowing Scarlet now than he was when he had been assigned to her. It was… refreshing. Caesar would be none too pleased that it was taking him this long to report on her, but Vulpes was enjoying this challenge. He even found the corner of his mouth turning upwards when he heard her tell Silus that she didn't work for the NCR. _No, because you work for the Legion._ They both knew it really. Maybe if it had been another courier who had been in her position he would have found it possible for them to betray the Legion after coming so far, but not Scarlet. She had belonged to them since the moment she stepped foot in Cottonwood Cove – no, perhaps even further than that.

_Violet eyes watching his every move, searching for him even after he had long left town and perched on a nearby hillside to survey her course through a burning village._ Scarlet had belonged to the Legion since Nipton; Scarlet had belonged to _him_. She hadn't known it then and she might not fully understand it now, but she would one day wear the Bull's crest, kneel before the son of Mars in reverence, and stand at Vulpes' side where she should have been all along.

In a split second his smirk had vanished and was replaced by action. "Get that door open!" He growled at Boyd. Pleasantries were Scarlet's department, especially when it came to dealing with the NCR. Lt. Boyd flipped through her keys, looking for the right one. Meanwhile Silus had pinned the vulnerable Courier onto the floor, one hand searching through her pockets for something useful. A light flickered on behind his eyes and Vulpes knew he had found what he was looking for – a weapon. The switchblade he had given Scarlet was pulled from her jacket and flipped open; it glinted in the overhead lights and Silus had a vicious grin on his face.

"I told you I wouldn't tolerate that kind of talk from a woman." Silus said, placing the blade at her throat.

The door swung open and Vulpes pushed passed Boyd and grabbed the other Legionary by the front of his armor and shoved him against the glass. "She had permission." Vulpes pulled back his fist and punched Silus in the face. Behind him he could sense the vague movements of the NCR Lieutenant helping Scarlet to her feet. His traveling companion groaned as she was coming to. He had barely enough time to register that before Silus brought the blade around in a sweeping motion towards him. Without thinking Vulpes reached up and grabbed it, hissing as the blade bit deep into the flesh of his hand. "_Coward_."

Silus' eyes widened as he finally recognized his attacker. "Inculta."

Luckily Boyd was too busy getting Scarlet into the other room so she didn't hear the Frumentarius being addressed. "You should have died on that battlefield – but don't worry. I'll remedy that for you!" Vulpes twisted Silus' arm and slung him across the room. Silus hit the floor with a dull thud followed by the clacking of his armor settling against the tile. While he tried to regain his bearings Vulpes stepped up and placed his foot on Silus' wrist, forcing him to let the knife go. He leaned down and plucked it from the tile and stood over him.

"Tell me one thing," Silus asked, "why are you protecting that profligate in there?"

"I'm not protecting a profligate; she's been granted Caesar's favor." Vulpes informed, eyes traveling to the blond in the next room. She was leaning against the wall with her head in her hands, still appearing to be very woozy, but at least she was awake.

There must have been some measure of concern in his eyes for Silus sneered, "Caesar's favor or yours? Tell me, Vulpes, is she your pet or are you _hers_?"

Vulpes snarled. He was angry with Silus for daring to goad him after all he'd done and angry with himself for letting his façade slip. "I guess you'll never find that out." He knew exactly where all the weaknesses in their armor were and brought the blade down and through the layers into Silus' chest. He twisted a couple times to ensure optimal damage. "You could have died honorably, been branded a martyr. Instead you choose to die like a traitor and a coward."

The life drained from Silus' face as the blood began to pool. His breathing rasped in his chest and Vulpes knew he had pierced one of his lungs. Silus' death would be an unpleasant one. The Frumentarius rose and flicked the switchblade closed and stuck it in his pocket before exiting to check on Scarlet. She immediately tried to stand straight, but her knees buckled beneath her. Vulpes caught her against his chest and he felt the heat radiating off of her skin, saw how bloodshot her eyes were. "You need to see a doctor." He told her, and then turned his attention to Boyd. "Do you have a medic available?"

"No." Scarlet shook her head. "Arcade. Take me to Arcade."

Vulpes nodded. "Of course." He swept her off the floor, one arm under her knees and the other under her back. Her fingers grasped at his shirt and she laid her head against his shoulder. At her touch he felt the most peculiar feeling welling up inside of him, one he couldn't place. He gave one last glance over his shoulder at the dying man and realized that he cared more for the well-being of this woman, a _dissolute_, than he did for a man he would have once called comrade.

He should have been surprised, but somehow he wasn't.

* * *

So yeah, that was Chapter 15. There's still bits I'm unsure about, but being a writer I'll never be 100 percent on my own work. In the orginal version it was Scarlet who killed Silus, but as I got back to that point in the rewrite I just felt it appropriate to let Vulpes do it. I also tried to capture Scarlet's descent into sickness, which was a struggle and I don't think I did it quite right, but here it is.

I'm going to try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I'm currently helping a friend move into his new place after moving nearly halfway across the country so updates on my stories might be a little slower than you're used to. Hopefully this will be remedied when things get settled. Until next time, happy reading!

**Next Chapter: Open Wounds** - Vulpes takes Scarlet to Arcade and the verdict is on on how much damage she's done to herself for being an idiot (because we all know she kind of is). Upon his inquiry into Scarlet's motives Vulpes learns what brought her to the Mojave and also what may be the reason she insists on being so nonchalant about her own safety. Scarlet's backstory revealed!


	16. Open Wounds

Hot damn! Look at what the cat dragged in: an update! Apologies again for the long pause. Another chapter that refused to be written until now. There is a small area towards the end that I'm still a little unhappy with and I do plan on rewriting it (yes I've said that before) in the future. I plan on at least doing a quick run through of all previous chapters soon and do some needed editing (mostly punctuation, etc), and when I do that I might add a little bit more to this chapter. It was extremely important and part of it just doesn't feel right. Then again! I could be doing that worrying thing I do.

I usually write review replies to everybody, but its extremely late/early depending on how you want to look at it and I just want to get this chapter out to you, so just let me say thank you for the reviews I received, you have NO idea how much they're appreciated.

A small warning about the _very_ end of this chapter. It has some adult content there. I didn't go as graphic as I originally intended, but I think it works ok. And no, sadly, no sex yet.

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This chapter is for my awesome rocks-my-socks friends, TheEnigmaticStranger, Lucidique, and Fortunesque.

For whom have helped me more than they know. Thanks guys!

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**Chapter XVI**

**Open Wounds**

_She was alone. That was the first thing she became aware of amidst the howling wind and swirling sands. The second thing was that she had somehow ended up in Ivanpah Dry Lake. Why she would be here when the last thing she recalled was being on the Strip was disconcerting. An uneasy feeling settled deep in her gut as she shuffled along the wind-torn desert, arms wrapped around her body as if attempting to protect her from the onslaught of the minor sandstorm that raged around her. Being alone shouldn't have bothered her this bad, in fact she should have been used to it after all these years of traveling in solitary. What really bothered her was that she had no weapons._

_Her eyes passed over the desolate stretch of land and could see an ancient billboard through the haze. She recognized it as the one on the side of the road between the Mojave Outpost and Nipton. The race track then, she was closer to the race track than she was to Primm. She lifted her arm to look at her pip-boy to gain her bearings but found it bare. "What the hell?"_

_To her left she heard the skittering of many needlelike legs and turned to see a group of giant ants making their way towards her. With a curse she began to run. There was no way she could fight them without guns or some other type of protection. The ground in front of her twisted into a funnel-shaped horizon of horrors making her feel like she'd taken too much jet. A rock she hadn't seen jutting out of the ground tore her footing out from under her and she went sprawling across the sand, her gasp of shock and pain forcing her to inhale a lung-full of sand in the process. Still coughing she stumbled to her feet and kept going, knowing even a few moments delay could mean death. _

_In her hurry to escape the horde of ants she did not see the giant radscorpion blocking her path. Its stinger came down on her like the scythe of a reaper coming to claim her soul. The needle buried into the skin of her leg and she screamed in agony. Somehow she managed to rip it out of her and limp away as the ants caught up and swarmed over it. The two factions began to fight over which one had the honor of killing and devouring her. For an instant the image flickered and instead of the ants she saw a two-headed bear, claws extended, fangs bared. The radscorpion became a bull, horns lowered and ready to run its enemy through. As soon as the image flashed in front of her it was gone and the insects were back. _

_While they were busy she ran as fast as her legs would carry her, the entire time trying to ignore the crippling pain shooting up the right side of her body. By the time she came out of the nightmare tunnel into the shroud of a wasteland night she wanted to crawl. Before her stood the entrance to Nipton and inside she could see the flames that consumed the town. Déjà vu, anyone?_

_The panic was slowly fading, as she was able to take a breath to calm herself. Cautious she entered the town, not knowing what she would find this time around. Like before the streets were lined with heads on spikes and people hung up on crosses. The horror clenched tightly in her heart when she realized that the dead were not Nipton's residents but people that she knew. She wanted it to stop, she wanted to close her eyes, but she kept walking, her gaze never leaving the faces of the tortured and dying. At the end of the row her world shattered as she recognized the beaten and bloody façade of Vulpes Inculta, his features twisted in pain and despair. _

"_You killed me." He told her in a raspy whisper, a bittersweet smile curling his lips._

_Behind her she heard the others pipe up in a chorus, even the heads on stakes who shouldn't have been able to speak without vocal chords. Their words were accusatory and not so forgiving. "You killed us all."_

_Tears blurred her vision. Desperately she tried to pull him down, begging him not to go. Everything she knew about crucifixion told her that this was pointless, but she was not going to let him die hanging up there like some common criminal. She stroked his hair as she laid him across her lap, pressing a trembling kiss to his lips. "I'm so sorry."_

"_It was a glorious way to die." _

_Almost inaudible above the sound of her sobbing came the whisper of wings and when she lifted her head she saw a dark figure perched atop a makeshift cross. At first she thought it was death, his black wings curled around him like a cloak, but when they parted she saw the familiar, albeit somber face of Benny. "I warned you it was all rigged from the start, but it's not over yet, pussycat, not by a long shot." He held out his hand, thumb and forefinger in the shape of a gun. "Its time to wake up." He pulled the trigger._

The shriek that tore itself from her lips came out muffled and hoarse as she jerked upright in the small cot in Arcade's tent. Sweat trickled down her face and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. The sudden jarring of her body reawakened the pain throughout it, making her head swim so intensely that she grasped for something to hold onto, afraid she would fall the pit of voidlessness that seemed to float around her. However even the pain had to take second fiddle to the undulating feeling rising in her stomach and up her throat.

"I'm going to be sick." She managed, trying to roll out of the bed. Her left foot hit the floor first and then her right. Her first step felt like she might be able to stand, but with her second she began to fall and felt a pair of arms grab her around the waist and hauled her back up, only to sweep her outside behind the tent. Gentle hands pulled her hair back as she emptied what little contents she had in her stomach onto the ground. Her back arched and strained against the action, protesting the position, each small movement.

"God, I feel like shit." Scarlet finally said as the retching stopped. She wrapped her arms around her trembling frame and tried not to pass out again.

"Not hard to believe," Arcade replied, helping her back to her feet again, "you have a very high fever caused by a serious case of septicemia." With one arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist he guided her back inside his tent where Vulpes was waiting, arms crossed over his chest and face solemn.

"_Sepsis?_ Shit."

"Yeah, shit." Arcade agreed with her. "What the hell were you thinking – or were you not thinking at all?"

"Probably the second one to be honest." It was hard to admit when she was wrong like this, at least on the outside. The entire time she had known she was making the wrong decision despite all her assurances to herself that everything she had been doing had some logical reason to it. Then she noticed her leg was unbandaged and finally revealed just how serious her problem had gotten. It was discolored and the area that had once been the size of a fist had grown considerably. She could tell by the lack of pressure in the wound that Arcade had already drained the infection. "I tried to take care of it myself. I thought I could fix it."

"Well, you were wrong." Arcade picked up a bottle and a syringe and walked over to her. "You're lucky that you haven't lost your leg. This is your first dose of antibiotics. Don't squirm." He pressed it into some of the good skin around her wound and pressed the plunger down. She wrinkled her nose and looked uncomfortable, but didn't complain. "We're going to have to keep this up until you're better. I've secured a bed for you in one of the other tents for you to recover in."

The thought of staying for an extended period of time within the Mormon Fort with the Followers was not a pleasant one and it didn't have anything to do with the Followers but the people they took care of. "I don't want to stay here."

"The infection has gotten into your blood stream, Scarlet. You have a fever, swelling, and by the sound of it malaise to go along with it. Do you really think I'm going to let you out of my sight?" Arcade went back to his supplies and dug through them until he pulled out two med-x. She hid her pain well, but he could tell she was in agony.

Scarlet grabbed his wrist before he could inject her and gazed up at him with pleading eyes. "Arcade… I can't rest with a bunch of drunks and drug addicts wandering about. You know how I get with that kind of stuff. Don't make me stay here."

Arcade sighed as he studied her face. She looked rather pathetic at that moment, with the pale face and the begging. He understood her concerns. He also knew that she did have a hard time relaxing in this place, because the first time she was injured and brought to this place she'd lay awake both nights. Sleep was a big component in healing a lot of the time, and with Scarlet's wounds she needed all the rest she could get. With his free hand he rubbed one of his temples and looked between her and her companion. "I'll let you go home on one condition." Scarlet didn't say a word, but waited patiently for him to continue. He nodded his head over at Vulpes and told her, "if he's willing to watch you I'll let you go. _And_ if after I explain to him how to take care of you I feel he's capable of doing it. I haven't patched you up as many times as I have just for it to be a waste." He was trying to sound hard and serious but her weak smile told him that she knew that he did care for her a lot.

"What do you need me to do?"

Scarlet swiveled her head around to look at the legionary. He had answered so quickly, without even enough time to really think things through. Behind Arcade's back her brows knit in confusion. It wasn't that she was ungrateful for his willingness to help her – it was just unexpected. Likely Arcade would be giving them a ton of medication for her and she knew how much the Legion looked down upon any sort of non-natural remedies. She could see how uneasy he was as Arcade treated her wounds, watched his eyes following the needles full of man-made chemicals. Would he – could he – use these 'profligate' medical tools?

She leaned back against the pillows again as Arcade busied himself gathering together what would be the essentials of her care. Each was held up and explained carefully and precisely to the undercover Legionary. In his usual manner Vulpes was taking in every detail. Scarlet could read the telltale signs behind his eyes that told her he was memorizing every word Dr. Gannon said and was sorting it painstakingly into his brain. As the two talked began to feel drowsy again, the medicine beginning to take effect, and as she begun to slip out she heard words like "saline" and "antibiotics" in addition to Arcade's grave, masterful tone.

For once Scarlet knew she had really gotten herself into a right good mess. Between the painkillers and the vision of Vulpes' handsome, sharp features she just couldn't find it in herself to care at the moment.

-X-

Scarlet didn't remember much about the trip home except that it entailed more leaning on her stoic companion than ever before while he attempted _not_ to drop or lose the bag full of medicinal items Arcade had passed to them. On the outside it must have looked like she was fall-down drunk, especially with the way she fisted the back of his shirt and leaned on his side. The only sign that she was something other than plastered beyond her faculties was the heavy limp she had. Mick and Ralph's crier echoed through the air and blended through time, mixing with the heady night air, echoing through her head past the King's and throbbed painfully in her skull as they reached the Strip's gate. It had all seemed like one step to her, as if she'd walked into Freeside and tripped right on to the other. She couldn't tell if it was the medicine or the illness that was making her take a walk in the land of illusion, and she sure as hell didn't have the capacity to figure it out either.

"Almost there." Vulpes said. They were the first words he had spoken to her since Camp McCarran. Unable to concentrate on reading his tone she also couldn't figure out if he was irritated with her and was saying that to himself or if he was really letting her know she'd be safe and comfortable soon.

"Vulpes, I'm sorry." She murmured against his chest.

"Don't apologize. Learn from this." His strong embrace guided her up the steps to the wide double doors of the Lucky 38 Casino. She turned her face so that it was buried in the smooth leather of his outfit, hiding her expression from him. Ashamed of herself was putting the situation lightly. Usually she was gung-ho and confident about every choice she made, even the wrong ones, because wrong choice or not it was who she was; however, this time she was finding it hard to accept the fact that she had screwed up, and severely. Just like she had been surprised at how proud she was when he had complimented her abilities, she was surprised to find that now she was upset at his obvious displeasure. And begging a man like that for forgiveness would have likely just made matters worse.

Inside the Casino it was a few degrees cooler than outside, which was one of the new modifications of the upgrade. It allowed for better usage of the venting and cooling systems, allowing to have minimal, but at least operational, air conditioning. Scarlet realized just how lucky she was indeed to have a place such as this to call her home. Sure, she'd had to kill a man for it, but it was hers now, and luxuries that even the richest of wastelanders didn't have were at her disposal now. In the back of her head she reminded herself that one of those luxuries, despite being a woman, was having Caesar's favor. His support would make a huge difference in the coming months. She still wasn't sure what she wanted in life, or even in this situation, but being liked by your superior was a definite bonus.

The air felt like heaven against her feverish skin and she sighed happily, trying to shove Vulpes' silent composure to the wayside. It was hard to read that man at the best of times, and this… this was not the best of times. He shifted her to the side a little as he pushed the button for the appropriate floor. "Thank you." She told him, raising her head to glance at him. "I'm a pain in your ass, and right now I know I must not look a bit worthy to help the Legion."

"That you don't." His reply was honest, and although it held not a touch of malice it still bit like a knife deep into her heart. She was already sick from one infection, why not add a little poison?

They didn't say another word between them, at least none of consequence as he set the bag down by the elevator door inside the presidential suite and carried her over to her bed. Leaning back against the chilled pillows she closed her eyes and tried to forget what a fuck-up she was. A few minutes later Vulpes came back in and set the bag on her desk and dug through it until he found what he was looking for. More med-x, more antibiotics, and one of those little saline drip bags. Apparently her septicemia was causing some acute dehydration that Arcade was concerned about. She barely looked at him while he went about with the injections and when he seemed troubled with putting in the needle for the IV drip she walked him through it, voice almost mechanical as she recalled the procedure. How many times had she watched her mother do the very same to others? How many times had _she_ done the same to others?

"That should be all you need for now. I will check on you in an hour, but hopefully you will be asleep by then." Vulpes said, closing the bag back up. His back remained to her as he spoke and his shoulders drooped. Not a lot, just a few millimeters, but it was enough to let her know that he was very tired – and more likely than not very disappointed in his charge. "Get some rest."

And he was gone, with a flick of his slender finger against the light switch and a brief pull on her door handle she was bathed in darkness. Alone, she had time to think about the choices she had made. She didn't get far before the drugs kicked in and she pulled back into slumber, back into her nightmares…

-X-

Over the next few days Scarlet didn't remain conscious much; whether it be by Vulpes' design or Arcade's she wasn't sure. She wouldn't have put it passed either one of them to want to keep her konked out for the duration of her illness. Vulpes probably because he knew that the circumstances between them had gotten complicated and he was avoiding the awkward conversation for _after_ she was well, and Arcade, well, Arcade knew she was likely to go off chasing Deathclaws if someone told her to, even as sick as she was. When she was finally granted a reprieve from her constant sleep she felt degrees better. The swelling in her leg had gone down and the wound was beginning to heal, and quite nicely.

Sometime over the few days Vulpes had made himself busy organizing the meds with almost calculated perfection along her desk. They were lined up as if on display and organized by type. He had even changed out her clothes, removing the armor she had been wearing the day she'd fallen seriously ill and trading it for a pair of men's pajama's he must have found in her wardrobe. He had rolled up the sleeves and pants legs to help keep her cooler, which apparently had only mildly helped for she awoke with her sheet kicked off in the floor. It didn't even register until she was calling out to him that she had a reason to possibly be embarrassed by her clothing switch. She didn't know why either. When they had gone to raise the Boomer's plane she had practically stripped down to her underwear in front of him but here – well, the stripping had been under her control and this hadn't. What had he seen? And for how long?

_Don't be silly, he's not a pervert._ She told herself before calling his name a second time, noting how weak her voice sounded, even after these days of rest.

Finally he came in, a bottle of water in his hand. He wearing dress pants and a button-up white shirt, the top few buttons were open and she watched a small bead of sweat roll down the side of his neck and out of sight. What she wouldn't give to be that little bead… Vulpes held the bottle out to her, as if he had done this a million times. "Here, Scarlet, how are you feeling today?"

"Better, I – uh – don't remember much." She ran a hand through her hair and then tousled it, noticing how dirty it felt. God, she probably needed a bath. Add another notch onto the embarrassing list.

A nod. "You've only been conscious a few times, and even then you were not really all there." He admitted.

"Do this often?" She inquired, holding up the bottle of water he had brought without her even having to ask.

"Much of the time you called out for me you needed something to drink. I learned to come prepared."

"So I called out to you in my sleep?" She took a quick drink to distract herself from that thought, hoping she didn't blush. Knowing herself she probably spent most of the time calling his name. Before this ordeal was over she would win the "Most Humiliated Girl of the Year" award.

"Only when you needed something important." He was lying; she could tell by the way he turned his eyes just to the side, as if he couldn't look her straight in the face. Why he was trying to save her pride she didn't know.

"Well, thank you for being there." Scarlet pushed herself further up on her pillows. "I'm sorry for putting you in this situation. You were supposed to be my partner, my teacher. Not my nursemaid."

Vulpes sat on the edge of her desk with a sigh, linking his hands in front of him. "Injuries happen, Scarlet. Even to the best of us." He pulled the side of his shirt out of his pants and raised it so she could see a long scar running up from his hip, across the corner of his stomach and up to his side. By the way it looked it had likely been a very nasty wound.

"Yes, perhaps." Her brows furrowed as she examined the wound. "Still, I know how the Legion views … profligate medicine," she nodded her head to the desk full of drugs, "Why did you agree to use it anyway?"

"You are an invaluable asset to the Legion. Caesar would not have been very happy if something had happened to you. He does not need to know the methods in which you recovered, only that you did recover from a life-threatening illness. Sometimes… it is necessary to break the rules."

A smile slowly melted across her face as she recalled Caesar's story of how Vulpes became a member of the Frumentarii, the way he had gone against direct orders just to gain a victory for them, even knowing he would likely face punishment. "Why, Mr. Inculta, you're such a rebel."

For a moment he dropped his face, a smirk lifting the corner of his lips with amusement as he shook his head. "Yes, that's me, Vulpes Inculta, Legionnaire and Rebel." It was nice to see such a positive look on his face for once. Too bad it didn't last for too long. "Can I talk to you about something serious?" The smile had vanished as soon as it had come and the same business-like gaze was back.

"I guess after everything that's happened that's the least I owe you." Scarlet pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head there.

"Why did you do this to yourself?"

It was the last thing she had ever expected to be asked and her head came back up, eyes wide. "What?"

"We both know that you have enough medical training to have properly cared for that wound of yours, yet you continually let it go, apparently made careless mistakes. You can be very…" He searched for an appropriate word and decided on, "scattered sometimes, but you are not stupid. _This_ was stupid."

"Everyone makes mistakes." She replied, a nervous laugh touching her tone.

"It wasn't a mistake."

"Vulpes I don't know what you think happened, but I wouldn't do something to myself like this on purpose." No, she wouldn't. Not this bad. That was the accident.

"Lie!" The palm of his hand came down on the scarred wood of the desk. Scarlet fell back against the headboard as if she'd been struck instead. In that moment Vulpes looked more like a stranger than the man she'd traveled with. Then again they hadn't been traveling that long anyway. Perhaps she didn't know him as well as she thought. After a moment of awkward, threatening silence he took a breath. The hostility seemed to ebb from the room like a dark tide going back out to sea. "No, maybe you did not do this on purpose, but there is something bothering you, yes? Scarlet, why did you stop studying medicine? What in your life troubles you so deeply that you would be so careless with your own health, even when you are more than capable of tending to it?"

She dropped her head down again, this time wrapping her arms around it. "You wouldn't understand it. Not like it's a big deal or anything."

"On the contrary. It is very important. Something that is causing you so many problems will eventually begin to cause us problems. Its not just you running around the Mojave anymore, Scarlet, there's more at stake. You've got to understand that now you are part of something bigger."

"I'm not a part of the Legion yet." She said stiffly.

"No, because if you were I would not have been able to administer the drugs that saved your life. I acted out of your wishes and not my own. However, if you do not come to terms with whatever issues you are having then I will be forced to tell Caesar that you are too unstable an ally." Vulpes crossed his arms across his chest. He watched for her reaction, which didn't take very long to come. He anticipated that, hoped for it.

"That's ridiculous! My past is not the concern of an army. It is only my present, my future that they should worry with."

"Only fools think that these things are exclusive." Which was true. Everything in life tied together from the moment of birth from the moment of death. Every second that passed held a high impact on the next and so forth and so on. For her to sit there and say that her past would not effect the Legion, _herself_, why that was more idiotic than her stunt with her leg.

"I'm not a fool Vulpes!" She cried. "I just…" Biting her lip in resignation she dropped her hands to her side. "You really want to know about my past?"

"Everything." The more he knew about her the more he could predict how she would act in certain situations, how she might serve the Legion.

A low bitter laugh came from deep in her throat. The expression on Scarlet's face was not one Vulpes had ever seen before. "All right, but its not a pretty story, and please refrain from asking me questions until I'm through. I told myself I'd leave everything behind, in fact I had made a promise to do so; a promise I am breaking now – for you."

-X-

"I was seventeen when the world decided to set forth on its systematic destruction of my life and everything I loved." Scarlet began, clutching a pillow to her chest. "Remember how I told you I grew up on the coast?" Her eyes only crossed his form long enough to catch the wordless nod from the Frumentarius before she continued. "I guess if I have to blame anything I could blame that – or maybe just God. Hn. Anyway, I had a normal childhood. Normal for us _profligates_ anyway... I had a mother, the one that taught me all about medicine. I also had a father, Emmerich Hughes." Her bitter tone shifted to accompany that sweet cadence that indicated nostalgia, affection.

"I was definitely a daddy's girl, but I guess a lot of girl's are. Probably has to do with how fathers have that overprotective streak in them, the good ones at least. My dad was like that. He also guided me, taught me everything I know about anything really important. When the first boy I ever had a crush on broke my heart he sat with me and explained why it was his loss and my gain. He was a merchant sailor, would take supplies up and down the coast to the small towns that had hired his services. I was always so happy when he would come home after a long trip away."

Scarlet shifted in bed and threw her feet over the edge of the bed to rest her elbows on her thighs. "One day Daddy didn't come home when he was supposed to. I hung out at the pier all afternoon, into the night, praying, hoping that I would see his boat come out of the darkness. It was a waste though. Later we would find out that there had been an accident – no one said exactly what – but it was understood that he was dead. At first I thought Mother was just in mourning. She had just lost her husband, a wonderful, kind, funny man. He was our family's rock. It took me quite some time to realize it was worse than that."

"Being the oldest of three children I felt the need to protect and care for my younger brothers. I was particularly close to Christopher. He was three years younger than me and I used to hate him following me around like a little puppy, but later we became best friends. We didn't have many people in our little village, much less kids, so we would busy ourselves with anything we could think of. That pretty much stopped when Dad was gone and Mom just…. _withered_. She would stay long hours in her room, smoking or drinking, crying. So it was our job to take care of Sebastian. He was only four and way too young to truly understand what was going on. I'd watch Mom and Chris would shield Bastian from the worst of it. Until she started with the drugs. I guess she just felt like they would help her forget, maybe move on. I don't know what goes through people's head like that; when they lose a loved one." _And I never want to know._ She thought, wringing her hands together and remembering her dreams. Those horrible, blood-filled nightmares.

"After the chems became her norm she'd sit on the front porch with her inhalers and bottles of liquor. For months it was the same. Every night she'd look out towards the sea and smile this eerie, lost smile and tell us that would be coming home soon. She began to talk like Dad was just gone on another trip. She started to confuse Bastian, whom we'd tried to make understand death, but she…"

"Finally I guess I couldn't take it anymore. I was losing it. I started to having panic attacks and it became obvious my psyche was less than stable. I guess Christopher had had enough. He came home one night with this _expression_ on his face and told me to stay with Bastian. Then he spoke to mom. I don't know what he said, but it had to have been something about our father. Then they were gone. The next thing I remember was waking up with the village deputy at the door. Our mother had been drowned at the end of the pier. Christopher had held her head under until she stopped fighting; not too big of a feat considering she was so fucked out of her mind she probably didn't even know what was happening."

She took in a deep sigh, chest rising and then falling. When it settled she concluded her story. "Chris was put in jail – or what passed for jail. Not much of a trail really considering he admitted to killing her, although no one cared to listen for his reasons. Then I was left with Bastian, all alone. I tried to keep the family together despite all this, but it just all felt like my fault. I was weak, like _her_. I couldn't help her, and I couldn't even keep it together so Chris had to do something. It was my fault really that it all happened. Between feeling that way and having the stress of an almost five year old child around who had just been through the most traumatic year he would likely ever have in his life I didn't know what to do. My aunt arrived at just the right time to take advantage of my feelings and convinced me it was better if I just let Sebastian come with her. I was a teenager. What did I have to offer a child, right? Wouldn't I like to just scrape together the pieces of my life I had left and start over? I fought it, but finally I relented. Weak _again_. Life after that was empty. The house was empty. Chris eventually begged me to leave everything behind – too many memories. Not long after my nineteenth birthday I set our house on fire and walked away."

A hand reached beneath her pajama top and drew out a long chain. Upon the end of that chain was a key. "This is all that's left of that house. I keep it with me to remind myself that wherever I am is home. I have nowhere to go back to."

Vulpes had remained still throughout her story but now stood. "I assume that is when you took the courier job."

"Well, I wondered for a while, but none of that is too important. What's important is yes, that's how I came to the courier's job." The room was silent again as they both considered the magnitude of Scarlet's hidden suffering. Elaboration, of course, was something Scarlet know Vulpes was waiting for. "I know you must be asking yourself what does any of this have to do with my problems."

"I think it answers a lot of questions actually." Vulpes said. From the first moment he could remember he had always been sizing people up, learning how to read them. Until now Scarlet had been one of those that constantly surprised him, unpredictable and strange.

Scarlet's laugh was dry as she shook her head; she should have known he'd read right through everything. In fact, he probably saw things she would have never seen about herself. Likely she had done more than show him a physical key, but a metaphorical one as well. "Do you ever feel like there is something bigger than us out there?"

"You mean like a god?" He'd never thought about religion and the like. Yes, the Legion had its beliefs, but Vulpes had always been quiet about what his true view was – which was undecided.

"Perhaps. More like a force. I think, ever since then, its insisted upon watching me live in hell. I'm not even allowed to die. To be honest, for a moment as Benny held that gun at my head I was actually relieved. I thought it was going to be over. Instead I wake up in Goodsprings with 'miracle' stamped on my forehead. But it was no miracle, it was the will of whatever sick creature has ruined my life. No matter what I do, no matter what happens, I always squeak by okay. And the people around me? They die. Or they have something happen to them that they might as well be dead."

Vulpes' eyes flickered over her, recalling her words as they'd walked back from Jacobstown. He understood them now, though cryptic as they were back then. "Are you saying that this," he waved a hand at her leg, or at least in the general direction of, "was all a way to tempt a possibly imaginary force, to goad it into showing itself for another round of torture?"

"It worked didn't it?" Cold, that voice, yet amused. "I faced death once again, and once again I have been plucked from its icy clutches."

"I think you are being foolish again."

"I probably am. The drugs in my system are not helping me, and truly, most of this is better left for drunken talk anyway. Subconscious ramblings of the bat-shit crazy." She made the spiraling motion around her head with a finger to indicate insanity and then leaned back her head and giggled a little, arms holding her up in a sitting position as they stretched out behind her. When she was finished with her private joke she sobered up and shot him a look over her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Vulpes, really. You've put up with caring for me physically and now you're listening to me rant on about all this … this _baggage_." She climbed to her feet, wobbly at first, but steady enough to make it over to her wardrobe. "I don't want it anymore," she commented, more to herself than to him, "so the world can have it back."

"What are you doing?" Vulpes watched as she carefully picked through her clothing.

"I am going to take a bath. Perhaps I will feel better. I feel dirty."

-X-

Half an hour later and Scarlet was finally able to start distancing herself from the memory of her family once again. As long as Vulpes didn't bring it up when he left the bathroom then she could go the rest of the day in a relatively chipper mood, for in a way she did feel a little celebratory for having healed so well. Her injury was still not fully healed, but with some more rest and the mind to remember her medicine she should be right as rain in no time. When she emerged, a smile on her face, Vulpes was waiting to redress the bandage she had removed to bathe. Her eyes followed each movement of his deft fingers as they worked, but it was when she closed her eyes that the sensation lulled her into comfort. Each brush of his hand, the warm feeling of his touch was memorized in her mind and in her skin so that when he finally stepped away she knew she would be able to remember it.

"Vulpes."

"Yes?" He replaced the bandages back in their given space on her desk and turned.

"Do you really believe I'm being silly about this whole cosmic force thing?"

"I think the only one who makes your fate is yourself." He answered.

She nodded and lay back in bed. Another round of meds had been administered so it was only a matter of time before she was being lulled back into sleep. For the first time since her initial nightmare she actually felt like she might get some decent rest without being plagued by nightmares. It was hard to believe in monsters when someone like Vulpes was there, looking at you with that serious, confidant expression. It was why she had gone to the Fort in the first place because how could someone like him be wrong? "Ok. Just promise me one thing."

"What is that?"

"Be careful."

"I always am."

Satisfied Scarlet closed her eyes pulled the fresh comforter over her as he turned off the lights and left the room. When his footfalls had disappeared into another room she shifted beneath the sheets, the feel of his touch coming back again and she couldn't help but picture him still with her, hands gliding over bare skin, but this time in a less innocent, care giving manner. Her body had cooled from her bath, except for one remaining source of heat, a burning that ignited anytime the Legionary was around. Ignoring this would assure she would never get anymore sleep.

That just wouldn't so now, would it?

Her own hand slipped across her stomach and under the waistband of her pajama pants, fingers immediately finding the small nub that was already aching for another's touch. Each pass over the sensitive area did little to ease her arousal, yet the shockwaves were worth it. The medicine was making her head a little blurry and despite pulling her down into rest once more actually served to extenuate each little caress. She moaned his name with urgency, wondering what would take her first: slumber or completion. With Vulpes' face dancing through her mind she wasn't sure if she cared.

-X-

His name. Vulpes was sure he had heard his name. He lifted his head from his thoughts and listened, but heard nothing but silence once more. It was possible he had imagined things. That seemed to be the topic for the day he had decided after everything he had heard from her. True he understood the little blond enigma a little better, but questions still floated in the ether and _their_ answers were as elusive as ever. In addition to his not-quite-successful-but-not-quite-victorious observation of Caesar's possible new ally he had no idea what he was going to tell the commander and chief. A report would have to be made soon, therefore a trip back to the Fort. Whether Scarlet returned with him this trip remained to be unseen.

The next time his thoughts were interrupted it was not by his name, but a sound, an all too familiar sound that gripped his insides and seized at choice muscles all through his abdomen. His head turned so that he could concentrate on it, trying to dismiss it once more as his imagination, but this time he couldn't. The Courier could be so quiet when she wished, however, other times, when she thought she was completely alone, she could forget herself. _This_ scenario had never happened before. There was no mistaking that soft mewling sound and the images that his head began to concoct did not help matters.

Finally he cursed to himself. He had been trying to remain serious, think about the war, business. It was hard to do that when she was doing… _that_. He let out his own groan, but one of discomfort as he shifted in his chair. The pants that had just five minutes ago been more than comfortable had suddenly became too tight. For a little while he attempted to write his report to Caesar in his head to distract him from the temptation seeping into his blood and rushing through his veins like fire.

Scarlet repeated his name again, no mistake this time, and that was the clincher. Vulpes prided himself on control. It was one of his best assets. Still, it was hard to remain controlled when even the slightest movement washed waves of electricity from the cramped confines between his thighs outward to his other nerves. No one would ever have to know.

A relieved sigh escaped his lips as he released himself from the cloth prison. A smirk brushed his features as he considered just how sad Scarlet would have been to know she was missing out on this. Their attraction to each other was not just increasing, but doing so exponentially. His brain had already run multiple scenarios detailing completely different ends to their encounter in the forests on their way back from Jacobstown. More than one involving his insistence upon dominating and possessing her, and her submission to him. "Hmmm." He leaned back in his chair and wrapped his fingers around the his stiff shaft. For a couple heartbeats he allowed his thumb to run lazy patterns along the taut flesh before beginning to pump a slow rhythm, matching that of his little Courier's cries.

He hadn't left the door cracked on purpose, but he was glad he had. The sounds she was making were almost lyrical, beautiful and sensual. And the fact she was calling _his_ name, not any of these other wasteland pieces of trash but _his_. _You're mine, little nomad,_ he thought with relish, _and I will pull more than soft moans and sighs from you when I finally claim you._ He had not forgotten their little wager, the bet she had lost. Soon he would take what was rightfully his. The wonderful part of it all? He did not believe she would fight him. With the promise of her prone form beneath him, yielding and pliable to his every whim he was driven to the edge of climax, and with her gorgeous cadence accompanying him he spilled his ecstasy into his hand.

Eyes closed he sat in blissful reverie until the twitching of his softening member died down and he become more manageable. Then he plucked up a cloth and proceeded to clean himself. Despite his pleasure he realized this behavior was not befitting an officer of the Legion. Still, he glanced over his shoulder through the kitchen door, passed to her bedroom, as he had said before: some rules were made to be broken.

_When the time is right,_ Vulpes said to his intended silently, _I'll come for you. On that day nothing will stand between us._

* * *

Yes, so... Scarlet's past revealed! Which is actually the part I want to rewrite. Not the facts, but the way I did it. *shrug* As usual, I hope you enjoyed.

**Next Chapter: **Playing this one by ear. I have a story plan, but this is the one area that I get a little iffy for a bit. Originally it was meant to be the bit in the Ultra Luxe, but I think I might do something a little more original!_  
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	17. Under My Skin

Guess what? Scarlet & Vulpes are back. Apologies for my absence. If any of you have read my blog it is explained there in greater detail. Long story short I needed some personal time and last week I started back to school. Preparation for that was more than a little stressful. However, hopefully I will be able to return to my regular updating. Perhaps not as much as before, but more frequently than this last stint of inactivity. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I meant for it to get to some more actiony bits I had planned, but it ended up being more about something else.

Also, belated Happy Holidays and New Years. **  
**

* * *

**Chapter XVII**

**Under My Skin**

* * *

The Lucky 38 was floor after floor of opulent luxury. Scarlet was sure that if she would have added up the worth of all the possessions in her childhood home they wouldn't have even been close to the price tag on just _one_ of the suites in this place. The more she explored the more she realized what a great base of operations it could make for a group of people. And although she kept telling herself she was still on the fence about the Legion the only faction that would come to her mind as she considered these rooms was them. Her brain would automatically begin flipping each floor mentally until it revolved into something appropriate and functional for Caesar's army. She kept in mind however, that if she decided against them it would also make a nice headquarters to begin her secret plan B.

An old suitcase revealed a few treasures before she tossed it onto the pile of items she had in the hallway meant for trade. The wound on her leg had healed considerably since she'd had to take her forced sabbatical from her missions, but not enough for her to be running all over the Mojave. It had given her an intense case of cabin fever, one that not even the dark haired Frumentarius could cure. In the last week she'd taken in so much about the Legion and their ways that her head felt like it was going to pop from the sudden influx of culture. It wasn't that she minded the information, it was that she wasn't used to sitting still and the longer she remained stationary the worse she twitched.

Finally she'd decided a little autumn cleaning was in order. The Lucky 38 was her little place now and she intended to take inventory of her belongings as well as get rid of those that did not serve her purposes. At first Vulpes tried to talk her out of it, especially when he'd found her passed out in one of the hotel rooms. Apparently she'd accidentally bumped her leg on a coffee table in the wrong spot, sent spiraling pain throughout her and caused another fainting spell. If she had fallen a few inches more to her left she would have cracked her skull open. Since then he'd insisted on accompanying her on her exploration, which meant that she had to search the rooms when he was not out doing secret Frumentarii special ops. Since he knew he would have to spend a considerable amount of time away from the Fort he had begun keeping tabs on his underlings from the Lucky 38 as well as eying the Strip and the surrounding area for their allies and enemies. Any kind of information was useful in his eyes.

Lately he'd been concerning himself with some kind of plan with the Van Graffs. Scarlet didn't know what it was, but she'd heard the name mentioned, and she had a bad feeling. Nobody in their right mind trusted those psychopaths, and although the Frumentarii did their jobs very well, they might overlook the sheer unreliability of trying to ally themselves with them. She just hoped they weren't making the wrong choice.

"That's the last of the stuff for this floor." Scarlet announced. "I think I can get a decent trade for this." She placed her hands on her hips, ignoring the ever occasional twinges from her calf, and surveyed the pile of objects.

"I do not see why you need to sell all of these items. You are aware that we can provide you with everything you need; all you have to do is ask."

Scarlet lifted her gaze to him and opened her mouth to speak, but was unsure of what to say. That was a two-pronged conversation. There were two reasons she insisted upon making her own money. The first was purely just because she couldn't count on the Legion if she decided against them. The second was that she didn't know how to get him to understand that he was missing the point. Not only was it important for her to maintain some kind of independence, but also she was bored as hell and needed something to do. If only she could waltz out the front door and go gunning through Fiend-infested New Vegas she could get some of this bottled up energy out of the way. Then again, maybe as a fighter he'd understand what it felt like to feel useless. Not that he had probably ever had a moment like that in his life.

"I appreciate the generosity," she replied, opting for a diplomatic approach, "but I still feel very uncomfortable taking from you. Its like taking charity from a complete stranger."

"So I am a complete stranger?"

"No, I meant the Legion. I still don't know how I feel so I can't knowingly just take. It would feel like stealing to me, and I don't feel right doing that. Some people might not have a problem and would just use you guys and then ditch, but I can't. So please don't take it personally when I say I can't accept anything you or Caesar offer me right now like that."

He regarded her for a few minutes longer than normal and she wondered what he was thinking. Then he nodded. "If that is the way you feel, but know the offer will remain on the table as long as you have positive dealings with us."

"Thank you for understanding, and if its any consolation I do hope that one day I'll be able to not worry about these things, that I'll be able to accept from the Legion's hospitality."

"When you put it like that it stands to reason that since you want to be able to one day accept our offer that means that you one day want to become a part of us. It seems like you've already made up your mind." He was trying to convince her. One last carefully planned out phrase that was meant to click in her head and make her go Eureka!

However, "its not as simple as that, Vulpes. I just don't want to make a choice I'll regret. I don't want to jump on the Legion bandwagon on a whim. It can't be an emotional decision. I have to weigh the merits of Caesar's army, its flaws. As much as it would pain me to one day disappoint you I just – I need time." She hated to admit that, but her attraction to him was already out there on the table. They'd both be fools if they ignored that it might be a factor in her decision making process.

Vulpes closed the small distance between them, his eyes never leaving the contours of her face. Scarlet could already feel the breath catching in her throat and that arrhythmic pounding in his chest intensify. Sometimes she wondered if he could hear her heart beating so desperately when that happened, because when it did it roared in her ears like a deathclaw that hadn't had a meal in ages and wanted to fill that void in his stomach. With Vulpes that void was elsewhere, and needed something insubstantial. It was nothing that could be bought or sold, something higher. Something purer.

The fingers that ghosted along her jawline, brushed the loose strands of hair out of her face coaxed that feeling closer to the surface. His probing, intelligent eyes lingered way too long upon hers and made her almost believe that he could reach inside and read her mind. "I don't think that you'll disappoint me." He told her. "I think that you'll make the right decision."

"If you kiss me right now I'll break." Honesty might have been the best policy, but it was also embarrassingly revealing.

"Then I had better not." He took a step back and broke the trance that had set over her. For that stretch of time he had woven his power around her and then released her.

"You know that you could probably sway me whenever you wanted to, but you don't. Why is that?"

A smile melted from his lips and spread across his face. It even touched the depths of his eyes, which filled with a poignant and gentle solemnity. "Because perhaps, I, too, want you to choose the Legion due to its merits and not just because of me – although it would be flattering and would make quite the achievement on my resume."

"Well, I could say not much of one really. We both know you could have had me back in Nipton." She didn't want his ego getting too big. "Speaking of which, why _didn't_ you? We both know you watched me. Why did you watch me? I was nothing to you."

"Honestly I considered going back and claiming you, even though I had assured you safe passage."

"Gaius told me as much." It wasn't a revelation to her anymore. At least not the revelation he had been expecting it to be, but it did have a certain power actually hearing it from Vulpes himself. It was confirmation, not just rumor.

"Gaius talks too much." Vulpes seemed displeased, yet the displeasure was mild and overshadowed by amusement.

"You talk too much, too, sometimes." She prodded.

He lifted an eyebrow at her. "I do?"

"Just a bit. Don't worry though, its ok. I like you anyway." She smirked at him. Still, she had to know. So she repeated the question. "Why didn't you?"

His chest rose as he took a deep breath, recalling that day. "I always keep my word. A man's word is sometimes all he has. Yes, I've told lies as a Frumentarii to progress the Legion, but I had meant what I said when I told you that you could go freely away from there. Also the respect you showed me and the other Legionaries with me could not be ignored and from a profligate was something to be rewarded. With mere words you stayed my hand – and my own personal desire to possess." He wondered what the consequences of acting upon them and taking her out of the game so early would have been. It might have been dire. It might not have mattered. Neither would ever know now because that was not the path that was chosen.

Scarlet stood on her tiptoes and pressed a chaste, but meaningful kiss to his cheek. "Lucky me."

"Indeed."

"And you never know," she let her hands trail over his shoulders to the collar of his shirt, where they tugged playfully, "it might have just prolonged the inevitable. I guess we'll see."

"I guess we will."

-X-

Part of the reason that Caesar had sent him instead of one of the others was because of Scarlet's moth-to-flame draw to him. She might have said that she didn't want to make this about emotions; Vulpes knew better. He had taken in everything she had done since they'd been traveling together and knew that she could not be so coldly logical even if those centers of her brain were removed. He could have also argued this fact and reminded her just how much she wanted to be by his side. He could have crushed her to the wall or led her over to a dust-covered bed and threw her down on the comforter and she would not have fought him. She would have succumbed; she would have obeyed.

Yet he had learned through experience that sometimes you didn't play the winning card in your hand. You held onto it. When you had won you won and it didn't matter if it was lying face up on the table for everyone to see or if it was tucked discreetly in the palm of your hand. Really she had said all those things to convince herself she was being rational, and that she was making the right choice. When it came to the end she would lay down her own hand and fold and that would be on her. There would be no room for her to tell herself she had been coerced into laying all the winnings at his feet, winnings that would include her as prize. She needed that room to make that choice unrushed and freely.

Scarlet said she needed time, and was very patient about checking all her options. Vulpes was more patient. This was a waiting game and he always won those.

So he helped her carry her saleable items down the stairs and to all the shops that she did business with. Watched as she traded this for that, filled her bags with newly pressed ammunition from the Gun Runners, pretended not to notice the stimpaks and med-x she hurriedly hid in a side zipper pouch. Now and then he would insert an innocent touch to her shoulder, or accidentally brush her hand with his and knew that they would have more effect on her than any in-depth conversation about the pros and cons of the Legion Vs. the NCR ever could.

They were just passing the Gomorrah when he felt a hard impact on his left side. When he looked he caught the apologetic, yet familiar face of a fellow Frumentarius. "Oh, sorry! I need to watch where I'm going."

"That's all right." Vulpes replied, sticking the folded up piece of paper that had been passed to him into his pocket and continuing as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Scarlet hadn't caught it, and Vulpes would have been alarmed if she had. She frowned back at the man, who was now disappearing through the gates into Freeside. "Starting this early? Or maybe he wasn't drunk, just distracted. _People_."

Vulpes smiled at her. "Let's get your purchases back inside, shall we?"

-X-

They dropped the bags in the elevator and as they road up he took out the note. "Where'd you get that?"

"From Alerio. The man I bumped into outside." Vulpes replied, rather distracted as he read the orders form the Fort.

"Oh, so that was one of you guys – I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult him a minute ago."

"No, you saw what you were meant to see. Which is assuring. It means we're doing our jobs well."

"Very well. I'll probably never look at two people running into each other the same way again though."

Vulpes folded the note back and smirked. "I'm sure you won't. However," the elevator came to their floor and stopped, doors clanking open, "I have some bad news."

Scarlet's brows knit with an anxious twitch. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I've just been called back to the Fort on official business." It wasn't too odd to be receiving orders such as that when he was away. Things came up. The world didn't stop moving just because Vulpes Inculta was absent. How much easier life would be if that were the case. Alas.

"May I read it?" Scarlet ventured. Her tone was more timid than usual. He should, but he handed it to her anyway and let her read it while he removed her bags and took them to her bedroom. When he returned she looked confused. "I don't understand."

"You wouldn't. I do. There's been a little project I've been working on, recon and the like. It seems that this project is nearing its completion and I have to go back to make the final preparations." He plucked the crumpled paper from her hands and wandered into the kitchen, where he pull a small box of matches off the shelf and pulled it open. "I had hoped we would have more time."

"So did I. You'll come back, right?" Scarlet leaned against the door to the kitchen, watching as he lit the paper on fire, holding it at the tip and letting the flames slowly move towards his fingers. Finally he dropped it into the basin of the sink and turned back to her.

"Yes. When its over. At least that's what I will assume. You're important to Caesar so I will likely return. While I am there I will give the full report about what happened with the Boomers and get our next assignment."

"What do I do until then?"

"Stay out of trouble."

-X-

"You know, this is where I sat when I was trying to figure out how to answer Caesar's question." Scarlet said. She and Vulpes had been sitting out on the front steps of the Lucky 38 since he'd finished getting ready to go back to the Fort. He had wanted to wait until nightfall so that he could use the dark to conceal his movements so they were passing time people watching. They hadn't spoken much, especially since Scarlet had become withdrawn, probably due to the prospect of him leaving. For such an independent individual it surprised Vulpes that she was taking their separation so negatively. It was also a good sign.

"I guess this spot has served you well then." Vulpes answered her after a moment, following her gaze towards the entrance of the Gomorrah.

"I suppose." She sighed and pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from one of her pockets and slipped one of them into her mouth.

Immediately Vulpes frowned. "I didn't know you smoked." It was such a disgusting habit, right up there with alcohol and chems.

She smirked, the nicotine-filled tube bobbing slightly as she did so. "I don't really." She lit the tip and inhaled. "Its more of a comfort thing. This," she lifted the pack up and wiggled it a bit for emphasis, "is kind of sentimental."

"Explain." How could a pack of cancer-causing, breath-stealing, poisoned tubes of death be sentimental?

"Before my dad died he used to smoke, more so when he was troubled. I remember how he used to sit in his office or on the porch with this… _look_ on his face. We knew when he looked like that and had an ashtray full of cigarette butts next to him he was considering something important. After he died, and after everything went down, but before I burned the house to the ground I went into his office and took this last pack out of his desk. It was missing only three at the time." Vulpes noted by the sound the pack made when she shook it that it was still at least half full if not three-quarters. "From then on, anytime I really needed to think on something I would take one. It comforted me because it felt like there was a part of my dad with me. It's silly, maybe superstitious, but in a way I hope that through that last link with him I might get some kind of inspiration or make a choice like he would have."

"I see." He didn't know what to make of that. The Legion disapproved of such things; _he_ disapproved of such things. Yet her reasoning was sound, nigh spiritual. It was strange how many gray zones the Courier had led him through so far. "I take it then that you are troubled."

"Everything seems to be closing in on me. And now I won't have anything to distract myself from it. I guess that makes me weak." She took another drag and glanced down at the ground, ashamedly. "Anything can become an addiction, even the need for companionship."

Vulpes held out his fingers, indicating he wanted the cigarette in her hands. Reluctantly, curiously she handed it to him. "You don't need this." He told her, almost with an air of instruction. He put out the end on the step next to him. Instead of throwing it to the side he broke off the tip and reached over to take the pack out of her hands. For a moment her fingers closed around it – a flicker of panic, fear that he would take them and discard them and therefore discarding the last remnant of her father – but the released, as if resigning herself to what he wished to do with it. He slipped the remaining length of the cigarette she'd been smoking back into the pack and then handed it back to her. "And if they're really that important to you then you need not waste one on me."

"Its not like that—" She began; the blush that splashed across her ivory skin revealed it as a lie.

"I'll be back," Vulpes continued, "and we'll begin our work again. You also need not worry about your decision; it will come to you. Even if you _did_ let this get to you I would advise that you don't need those. Your father isn't in them. They're a window perhaps that you can see him in, but nothing more. You hold his memory more than anything could. So if you would like you keep them for sentimentality, but I don't think you need to use them."

Scarlet held them in her hands, studying them for a few minutes as if trying to glean some deeper meaning from them. Although it wasn't really the cigarettes she was considering, but his words. "I never really thought of it like that. Maybe you're right." She slipped them back in her pocket. "Then again it could be that you just don't like cigarettes and are trying to get me to stop it so I don't offend the natives." The natives of course being other Legionaries.

"Or it could be both."

"That, too." She smiled. "You should have been a psychiatrist."

"I would have been a terrible one. Although manipulating profligates to suicide sounds like a worthwhile profession." In truth he was a little like a psychiatrist already, at least in the fact he had to constantly be analyzing the motivations behind other's actions. If you knew how someone's mind worked then you knew exactly how to get them to do what you wanted.

"Why go to all that trouble when you can just kill them?"

"You are depraved." He told her, but the sharp curve of his lips indicated that he was very much amused by her statement.

"You love that about me."

"I find it a useful tool." He nodded, half-agreeing.

Scarlet gave him a wicked grin, "I bet you know all about useful 'tools.'"

He returned it, leaning over to whisper in her ear, "with the right _tools_ you can bend or break anything… anyone." His breath was warm against her neck and it stirred the fine hairs there, causing a chill to roll down her spine. He nodded towards a rough-looking gentleman trailing a rather refined looking one; bodyguard and employer combo most likely. "For instance, a pair of pliers might illicit the most agonizing response from even hardened individuals. Simple? Crude? Yes. Effective? Also, very much yes." His voice was dangerous, dripping with darkness and brutality. Somehow it still managed to curl knots deep inside Scarlet in places she would rather not mention. Then he continued, his tone dropping to a purr, adding a hand onto her knee. "But her," he changed the direction to a proper-looking lady passing into the second section of the strip. Likely on her way to the Ultra Luxe. "Another 'device'… " He let that implication hang in the air for a moment, "if used correctly would leave that one curled into a boneless ball of putty, ready to be molded to any purpose."

Scarlet took a steady, but deep breath and swallowed, watching the way his eyes danced over the crowd. It was as if he held a great mirth at the thoughts of how to undo every single person that passed them by, to see each stripped down to the basest of the human condition. Vulnerable, pooled in agony or ecstasy at his feet.

Without warning he got to his feet and reached down for her hands. It was dark now and he would be leaving. She accepted his offer of assistance and was swiftly pulled to her feet. His hand pressed against her back and urged her against his chest and he dipped his head to speak softly, privately to her once more. "Do you know the difference between torture and seduction?"

"One hurts and one doesn't?" She answered, voice quivering just slightly. Even before it was fully out she knew she was wrong.

"Not quite." He replied. Scarlet was hyperaware of their closeness, much like it had been during the encounter when they were returning from Jacobstown. That darkness within him was also there, as well as the firm grip he had on her body and mind. He didn't have to bind her to hold her rapt. She knew that these moments, along with their initial meeting in Nipton was the closest to the real Vulpes Inculta that she had seen. His charisma, that personable charm and patient demeanor were just that: a façade. Oddly, even moreover shamefully, she wouldn't have minded that Vulpes being around more often as much as he might have thought she would. However, she knew that if he was she would be powerless against him.

"Then what?"

"When torture goes correctly they beg for you to stop. When seduction goes correctly they beg you for more." He tilted his head to the side and lowered his lips upon hers. At first it was the mildest brush, barely enough to feel his. As her eyes fluttered shut he deepened the kiss, his mouth speaking words without uttering a sound. He might as well have been reminding her who she belonged to. There had been no official battle of wills or admitted victory but they both knew the game and who had the advantage.

Scarlet had never considered herself very good at kissing before, and had never had too much practice. Yet the slow, measured pace that Vulpes took with this kiss made everything seem elementary. Their tongues danced as if choreographed, like old partners reunited. Each caress made the world around them revolve slower and slower until they were the only thing that mattered, the only thing that existed. Her head swam with the pleasure of their joined mouths, and through the lightheadedness she focused on his promise of return with anticipation.

Somewhere, perhaps in a faraway world, she heard an uttered phrase hidden beneath a sigh. Some passerby, some woman declaring, "how romantic. I wish someone would kiss me like that."

Scarlet could have laughed if she hadn't been entranced. Yes, they must have looked quite the couple, standing together on the strip, one last kiss goodbye. With Vulpes' closely cropped hair and physique he could probably be mistaken for one of the NCR soldiers out of uniform, on leave. She was saying farewell to a soldier, yes, but not the one that some might have thought. He was her Legionary; at least for now. It struck her with force how much she was beginning to become okay with that.

When they finally stepped back from each other she said, breathless, "I will have to disagree with you though."

"About?"

"I don't find much difference in the two. I'd even go so far to say that seduction itself is a _form_ of torture."

"In the best cases it usually is."

He made her promise once more to stay out of trouble and then hoisted his traveling bag over his shoulder. One last lingering touch and then he was gone. But he'd be back; he said he would.

* * *

As usual, I appreciate all your responses. I hope to hear from you soon.


	18. No Rest For the Wicked

****Hello, everyone! It is been a while - again. But here is the next chapter. Its not very long compared to some of my latest chapters, but it was kind of a necessary chapter so, yeah. And I also knew that I would be making quite a few replies here. I won't get everyone that sent me a review, so if I don't reply to you know that I am still very thankful and appreciative. I'm going to try to catch all of those that I feel I need to reply to and such and I'll probably jump around in the order I received them. Oh, and apologies for the replies if they sound kind of choppy; its 7 AM here and I've been up all night. So here goes, and enjoy the chapter.

**gorguts5**: Hm. I only saw the beginning of Bleach so I don't know that character too well. I just kind of had an image of the way Vulpes was, and from the way he talked about how people acted in Nipton he kind of sneered 'loved ones' in a way that made me wonder if he had issues with the idea of love. I kind of ran with that sentiment a bit.

**Lakritzwolf**: For some reason that makes me smile a bit that my story is being handed out like that. Link worthy I suppose. And about a beta reader? Sigh. I know I probably need one. I go over my chapters a million times, including once or twice after I post it to make sure the upload didn't screw anything up and I still miss stuff. I've talked on my blog a bit about a personal issue I have and I guess that will explain why I haven't gone out and got one... I hate to admit it cos I feel like it makes me sound like a psycho, but I have a really bad anxiety disorder and can't usually bring myself to initiate conversation with people I don't know. And also I have a bad habit, though I don't mean to, of sometimes disappearing from here for a few months, and I don't want to put a beta through that kind of see-saw activity. But, I suppose if there is anyone out there that wants to help me check over my stuff I definitely wouldn't be adverse to the idea.

**SepiaDreams**: Thank you for liking Scarlet. The every day just trying to get along kind of person was what I was going for with her. I think a lot of times people make the Courier out to be either this badass renegade or super paragon (god, I've been playing way too Mass Effect to use those descriptions, lol) but a lot of times I just see them as a regular person. I wanted Scarlet to struggle with her choices and the life that's just been shoved in her lap. If it was easy it would be a boring predictable story. And to clarify I don't mind the super paragon or the badass if done well, I just didn't feel it fit Scarlet's story.

**Lucidique**: Danke, friend. I was worried about the sexual bit in 16, with the two of them, err, well enjoying themselves. However I hope it turned out well to show their 'relationship' is beginning to step up a bit from traveling companions. And about the line concerning the legion and the NCR, I'm glad it stood out. She's so deeply twisted in the war between the two that I felt it needed to be shown how it was starting to effect her. Oh, Vulpes. That scene was hard to write with him being all in pain and everything, even if it was just a bad dream.

**Rastanton94**: Ulysses! Yes! I haven't decided if he will be in this first story yet, but after playing the Lonesome Road I definitely want him somewhere. I think he is very relevant to Scarlet's struggle with herself. I've been trying to figure out how to work him into Scarlet's tale and want to very much. Most likely he will be in Arcana Imperii, the sequel.

_Ok, I'm getting a big list of replies and I'm exhausted. When I have more time I might make a reply post to as much as I can on my blog - if I can ever get the link to show up on my profile. For some reason my links aren't working, at least on my end. Love all you guys and I hope you haven't given up on me!_

* * *

**Chapter XXVIII**

**No Rest For the Wicked**

Vulpes watched the sun come up over the edge of the Mojave as he pushed the contents of his breakfast around the pan Scarlet had packed for him. Somewhere in that head of hers she must have realized that he had the ability to take care of himself, yet she had insisted upon readying a travel kit filled with a few meals worth of food and other necessary items. He remembered the way she had spoken about the cosmic force that seemed to ruin every aspect of her life and wondered if this was a small way she combated it, by feeling like she was doing something productive towards taking care of those that meant something to her. It had been a long time since he could remember anyone trying to take care of him, and those memories were so surreal that they could have said to be just dreams.

He shook his head, a smirk ghosting over his features as he slid the omelet onto a small plate. He wouldn't say so, couldn't say so, but it was actually a pleasant feeling. Some of the other soldiers had wives back home, wives that would cook for them and mend their armor, wives that bore the next generation of the Legion, the future of the world while giving their husbands a present worth living in. Vulpes never fully understood the appeal of officially taking a spouse or companion before. If one wanted a child or just a night of pleasure there were ways of achieving that goal. However, the time spent with the Courier gave him a small glimpse of what it might be like to have someone look out for you in that manner and he began to get why some of the men would choose to have that life.

Outsiders did not understand the way the Legion hierarchy worked. At most the degenerates saw their war camps filled with warriors, slaves, and whores meant to keep the loyal company while away from home. This was not the full picture of the glory of the Caesar's Legion. Women, though below men on the totem pole, were still human beings in their eyes, meant to be protected if they properly served. Profligates believed women were treated as slaves, but that was true only if they were slaves. Free women of the Legion had their freedoms, but they also had their responsibilities. Most accepted this life in exchange for that protection from the outside world.

His fork tapped the side of his plate as he gazed into the horizon, worrying about Scarlet's place in the Legion when this was finished and she indeed chose their side as it looked like she would. She was not the kind of woman to sit before the hearth while others marched off to war. Had he grown soft in his time away from the Fort, away from other men and the influence of Caesar's laws? It was not like him to be so concerned for another in this way. Those that refused to fall in line or find their place were discarded, but it caused a spark of something akin to displeasure when he thought of Scarlet going that route.

Before his breakfast got cold he forced his mind to turn to the mission he was on his way to and closed off thoughts of the women he'd left behind on the strip. For now she was all right, surrounded by the lights of New Vegas and the men he'd put in charge of looking after her while he was away.

-X-

"—someone outside waiting for you."

"Uh, what?" Scarlet only heard the tail-end of what was being said. She set the magazine she had been reading aside and lifted her head to the securitron that had wheeled itself down from the penthouse. As robots went Yes-Man was both loads more annoying than any regular robot, but at least he was far more useful. Her orders were to stay quiet and hidden in the penthouse, especially when she was not alone in the building. It was rare for him to come to her with anything.

"There is an NCR soldier pacing outside the Lucky 38. Thought he was drunk, but he keeps looking up here like he's waiting for something. I thought you might be expecting him."

"I wasn't, but I'll go see what its about."

"Of course! Will you be needing anything else?"

"No, I won't. And don't forget to take that securitron back upstairs. I don't want to have to explain this to Vulpes." She didn't. Doing so would have her admitting to her back-up plan in case she lost the Legion's favor. She wasn't stupid enough to think she could outrun them. As the days passed she was beginning to feel more and more guilty about having this secret from her current employers.

She dressed quickly and took the elevator down to the main level. The soldier pacing in front of the Lucky 38 was rather young, so young she wondered if he had lied about his age to join up. He scratched the back of his head nervously when he saw her and opened his mouth to say something, eyes skirting around to avoid looking straight at her. No doubt he had heard stories of the Mojave courier and was intimidated by being the one to have to come talk to her. At any other time she might try to be nice about things, but today she was in a foul mood and his inability to go ahead and get to the point was irritating her.

"Spit it out, what do you need?"

"I, uh, I mean, Crocker wants to see you about something important."

"Does he now?" This was looking like it was going to turn into another important mission the NCR needed done that they didn't want to send their own people to go do. That usually meant that it would be dangerous or tedious. Joy.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'm not a ma'am – and tell him I'll be around in a little while."

-X-

"Rex, want to go for walkies!" Scarlet waited about half an hour before she decided to go see Crocker. The last thing she needed was to give the NCR the impression she was at their beck and call 24/7. She didn't mind doing innocent jobs for them to keep up appearances, but she wasn't going to be their go-to gal for every damned thing they didn't want to do themselves.

The cyber dog had been chewing on an old shoe he'd found somewhere in the building, but upon hearing that they were going on he dropped it and got to his feet, tongue lolling happily.

Scarlet grabbed her bag and once more headed out, her faithful companion at her side. The walk to the embassy seemed longer than usual, which didn't improve her mood any. She wanted to get this meeting over and done with so she could move on with her day unimpeded.

Crocker was in his usual mood as she entered. He portrayed a friendliness with her right up until she asked to get down to business and then he grew somber. "I have a task for you, something that you may decline if you wish, but I don't think anyone else is better suited for it."

She nodded and didn't say anything so that he would continue.

"I'm sure you've heard of Black Mountain. Its just a little ways down the road from Sloan. Lately there has been an increasing amount of attacks and disappearances along that stretch of road. Now, some of the problems could be accounted to the number of deathclaws that are in the area. However, for a few that have made it back from that area they assure me that it is not just deathclaws that we have to worry about, but supermutants and nightkin. Furthermore there has been rather odd radio transmissions from the top of the mountain."

Black Mountain. The place had come up in conversations with Marcus before. She didn't know much about it except for that it was originally the place where he and his group of super mutants had lived before a coup by a nightkin, who might be to blame for these 'odd radio transmissions.'

Crocker continued explaining the details of the situation, even going so far as to say that if the problem wasn't cleared up then they would have to rid the Mojave of any Supermutant or Nightkin presence. This, Scarlet did not want to hear. The group on Black Mountain might not be friendly, but if the NCR begun a systematic hunt for Super Mutant kind it could cause an explosion of violence from the already on the fence members of even the Jacobstown residents. _Keene would just love a chance to tell Marcus to stuff it with a reason behind it._

"You do realize what that would cause?"

"If you are talking about the other group of mutants then yes, I am aware. At this point we cannot excuse any group that may be hostile."

"Jacobstown isn't hostile!" Scarlet bolted from her seat and Crocker sat back in his chair with an expression on his face that said that he thought she might hit him.

When he recovered, realizing that she was not going to beat his face in, he added, "then I ask you prove they are not a threat by getting rid of the problem on Black Mountain. I can't have my men and other travelers being attacked. We already have the Legion to worry about and the deathclaws."

_I promised Vulpes to stay out of trouble._ Scarlet balled her fists at her side and glanced down at Rex, as if trying to glean some kind of answer from him. She knew she should just stay in New Vegas until he returned, but the idea that a problem could arise for Marcus and the other mutants that had tried so hard to stay out of trouble because of this other bunch, because Crocker and the NCR couldn't see a difference between them didn't sit well with her. "I'll go. But I ask that you not take any action until I return – or until you have proof that something has happened to me. I guarantee you that Jacobstown is peaceful and I will stop the attacks near Black Mountain."

As they left the embassy Scarlet sighed and turned to Rex, "why is it always us?"

Rex whined.

-X-

The Head of the Frumentarii didn't stop for lunch. By the time the sun was at it's highest in the sky he had passed Novac and headed onward. Another half hour and he was entering the small camp just a quarter of a mile from what the NCR had dubbed Ranger Station Charlie. One of the younger, apparently overzealous men immediately raised his rifle in Vulpes direction and received a prompt and unapologetic cuffing from his superior officer. This was something that, while it didn't happen often, it did happen due to his habit of not changing back into his uniform until he had reached the safety of one of their outposts.

"Do you not know who has just entered our camp, boy!" The elder man growled before turned to Vulpes. "Vulpes Inculta, you are right on time, as usual. In fact you are rather early."

He nodded his head as he swept a glance through the camp. It was definitely enough men to accomplish the mission that he had set for them. Even if they had half the numbers they would be able to complete it. "Is everything ready for tonight?" He swung his pack from his shoulder and dropped it on a log that had been set around the fire.

"Yes sir." The soldier led him up to a hidden cache where an additional set of weapons and clothing had been brought up from the Fort. Among their equipment was a small crate packed with various NCR disguises for the first half of his plan. He knelt beside it and examined each one before giving his full approval.

"I will have to tell my agents good job for procuring these. They're in perfect condition. I just need to meet the distraction team and brief them for what they will be expected to do."

Ranger Station Charlie had been a thorn, albeit a small one, in his side for quite some time. Many did not consider it so much of a threat to them, but it wasn't a matter of manpower, it was a matter of symbolism. Especially in Novac, Charlie had become something of a landlocked lighthouse shining its invisible light telling them that they were safe and that they had the Legion situation handled. After that night Charlie would no longer be that symbol. Weeks of recon had put together guard changes and patrol schedules. They knew every NCR soldier that was expected to be there and had planned for any number of random visitors that might drop in unannounced and catch them. The NCR was spread too thin as it was and once Charlie was gone they would not be able to replace the soldiers lost there, leaving the post empty and no longer an obstacle the Legion had to worry about.

The plan was broken up into three parts. The first was the manner of the two teams he had split these men into. The first would be disguised as a small band of traveling NCR soldiers that would get in close to the patrol team and take them out. Meanwhile the second would be in positions around the station, monitoring the place to make sure everything was as it should be. When the patrol team was taken out team 1 would move in and half of team 2 would follow. A couple men would be left as lookout as they ridded Charlie of its NCR presence. In, out, and totally in control. He did not see it taking longer than an hour, if that.

"Team One is ready to be prepped."

"Good." Vulpes rose to his feet and dusted off his hands on the hips of his pants. "Let us begin."

-X-

As Jacobstown came into view, Rex sprinted off barking and bouncing toward the entrance. Scarlet rolled her eyes at the mutt, but didn't worry about anything happening to him. By now most of the mutants on guard duty had become familiar with the cyber hound and his owner. This trip was probably not necessary, she had told herself, yet if something bad did happen to her then she felt Marcus needed to be warned about the volatile situation that was brewing due to Black Mountain's residents.

"Marcus!" She opened her arms in greeting.

"Scarlet, I didn't think I would be seeing you again for a while." Marcus said. "It got a bit troublesome last time."

"Eh, you think a few NCR mercs would keep me away!" She gave him a smirk that she didn't quite feel. The memory of the second incident with those men still played through her mind like a bad dream, and that was just what she wanted to remember that as.

Somewhere she heard the irritated rumblings of farm animals and the playfully yipping of Rex. She cringed. "Sorry."

"He won't hurt anything." Marcus readjusted the goggles on his head and followed the sound with his eyes.

"…Yeah. Listen," she glanced around nervously, making sure no one else was around to hear her, "I actually am here on business. I have some potentially bad news."

"I see."

She proceeded to explain what Crocker had told her, and each syllable added another crease of worry to the super mutant's face. "I remember you talking about Black Mountain and I came to see if there was any useful information you might have, and you know, a heads up in case the NCR decides to say fuck diplomacy."

"I had heard that Tabitha had been stirring up trouble, but I hadn't known it was getting so bad. There's a super mutant called Neil who is staying near there per my request, keeping an eye on them. He might be able to help you, and I can draw you a layout of the Black Mountain facility to give you an idea of what you're walking into. Of course, Tabitha has probably changed things considerably since I left, but the buildings ought to have remained the same." He motioned for Scarlet to follow him up to the main lodge building.

"I figured as much. Do you think there is any chance I can reason with her or do you think this will have to end bloody?" God, she really hated to phrase it like that, but there wasn't another way to do so. With mutants or nightkin there was really no happy medium, at least with it came to relations with normal humans.

"I want to tell you that there is a way to get her to stop, but I don't think so. Be prepared for anything." He held the door open for her as they entered the darker, cooler interior. In one corner of the room she spotted Keene, his normal foul mood evident in his body language as he spoke to another nightkin. When they closed the door he looked up and shot her a nasty expression. Scarlet pretended not to see it.

She leaned against the aged front desk and played with the snow globe on the counter as Marcus dug around trying to find some paper to sketch out that map for her.

"Human."

"Nightkin." She lifted her eyes up to Keene when he approached her.

"For someone who _claims_ to want to improve feelings toward our races you have no respect." Keene's voice dropped to a growl. Scarlet fought the urge to blow him off.

"I'm like that with everyone, people I like, people I don't like. Its who I am and changing that would just go to prove that I think I think humans should watch what they say and treat you different. I'm not going to do that. You don't have to like me. I'm not going to make you." She rolled the snow globe around in her hands a few more times before she set it back down.

"What are you doing here?"

"I can't visit?"

"You don't _visit_. You invade and irritate."

"I think you have me confused with Rex. He's the small furry one." She held out her hand to indicate a much smaller being.

Keene snarled and leaned in toward her, "I'm watching you." He turned and began to lumber off, most likely to glower about how he wasn't getting what he wanted.

Not being one to ignore a perfect moment for a come back she raised her voice just enough to give her parting shot, "you know pictures last longer, right? I'll bring you one next time!"

Keene disappeared into another room and slammed the door. How he didn't shatter it right off its hinges she would never know.

A deep sigh came from behind her on the other side of the desk where Marcus was drawing out the map. "I wish you would just get along with him."

"Keene? Seriously? He started it. And besides, he knows better than to start something right now. Its not like we had a battle royale right in the middle of the foyer."

"Let us hope that it never comes to that."

"Yeah, I'd hate to have to clean the blood off my clothes. There's not enough Abraxo around for that."

Marcus didn't bother trying to tell her she shouldn't be so flippant about the animosity between herself and Keene. They all knew the stakes of Keene finally giving up trying to get along. "Here."

Scarlet took the map and compared it with her pip boy map, marking a few points for cross reference. When she was sure it was about right she folded the map and put it in her bag. "I wish I could stay, but I need to get this done as soon as I can so that everything doesn't blow up in our face. And," she looked to where Keene had went, "its probably best I don't stay too long. Contrary to what you believe I really don't want to cause an incident."

"I know you don't." Marcus looked a millennia old, weary. He patted her shoulder as gently as he could manage. "Be careful."

"Always am."

"Uh-huh. Go collect your dog, and give Neil my regards."

Scarlet headed out.

-X-

Marcus might not have seen it, but Keene did. That human Courier did not show up unless something bad was going on. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard them mention Neil. She must have been there about Black Mountain. _Well, it has been a while since I've been there. Maybe it is time to pay a visit…_

…_and get rid of her for good._

* * *

Bam! You have now reached the end of Chapter 18. Chapter 19 will be pretty action packed if I get it the way I want it, even if it has to be long. I will try not to make the wait as long as this time. I hope you enjoyed.


	19. The Rope to Hang Yourself With

Well, I'd like to say that I had been captured and tortured by the NCR for information regarding the whereabouts of a certain Mr. Fox, but that would be a lie. One piece of shit life episode after the other and here I am - what? - about a year and a half later. Longest period of time without an update ever I do believe. I'm sorry doesn't cut it, but I'm back now. I wish I had time to answer all of your reviews since my last chapter, but I don't think I can, so I want to thank all of you who continue to enjoy this story and welcome the new readers. Much love to all of you.

**_i am the stig_**: You're right. Nobody ever talks about Searchlight. I was actually going to originally have Searchlight be the focus of Vulpes mission away, but decided that timeline wise it probably already happened. I love what Vulpes did at Searchlight because it really shows his strategic ability to destroy something valuable to the enemy. I think Nipton shows his personality and his strong ideological beliefs where Searchlight showcases what makes him an important member of Caesar's Legion. He's not the head of the Frumentarii for nothing. Searchlight's massacre was awful and terrible in the terms of the loss of human life, but it was damned brilliant. I love to watch that man work. I wish they had showed even more examples of Vulpes' slyness, but alas.

* * *

**Chapter XIX  
The Rope to Hang Yourself With**

* * *

There had been an attack up the road heading to Searchlight. It had been a month ago, but rumors traveled in a somewhat sporadic manner out here in the Mojave and they also tended to get repeated. Private Jed Fischer couldn't get the thought of an entire caravan, protected by a large number of mercenaries with high-end weapons, and so very close to Charlie Station, out of his head. He lit another cigarette, the flare of his match settling an eerie orange glow over his and his partner's faces. "Did you hear about the caravan near the over pass?"

His partner was a slightly older man, but not by much. Despite only a few years separating them Meyers treated him like a child, a straight from the west rookie, when he began to talk like this. He couldn't understand that talking about these things was just another form of men whistling as they walked passed graveyards. Fischer needed to talk about these things. "Yeah, I heard." He clipped his words as he shoved Fischer's cigarette hand away with a glare. "You know, for all your talk about the horrible Legion you tempt their wrath an awful lot. You know they don't like shit like that." He meant cigarettes and all manner of similar substance, which anyone who knew the private well enough would know just how much he indulged in when he got leave to go to the strip.

Fischer dropped his match and ground it into the dirt with his heel. He would just opt to ignore Meyers' bitter mood tonight.

Meyers didn't seem interested in letting the subject rest as they walked along their normal patrol route. He quirked his face into a dark smile, and with his usual snarky flair told the other man, "well, I know that if we ever run into any of those skirt-wearing assholes they'll take you first. So what the hell, go ahead and smoke that thing."

Private Fischer flicked the build-up of ash from the tip of his cigarette and scanned the area around them, pretending to not hear Meyers' assertion. Unfortunately, he was probably right. After the tale passed along from the scorched town of Nipton, Fischer had no doubt just how serious these Legion guys were about their version of morality.

"They could be watching us right now," Meyers continued his condescending rant, lifting his arms up like he was holding something he was about to launch, "just waiting until they have you in their sights, perfect angle, and boom! One minute you're sucking ash and the next you have a spear in your side."

"Fuck you."

"Just sayin'—" Meyer stopped and peered into the distance. "Look."

Ahead of them, approaching with a measured, leisurely pace was a small group of men. Meyer slung his rifle off his back and followed them as they grew closer. "Oi!"

One of the men lifted a hand in a small wave and Fischer put a hand on Meyers' shoulder. "NCR."

Meyer breathed with relief and replaced his rifle on his back.

"Scared?" Fischer prodded.

"Fuck you."

"Just sayin."

"Where are you headed?" Meyer asked of the men.

"Up the road." The man in the front explained.

"I see. You need to be careful along this road. Course I don't need to tell you that." Meyers laughed.

"No. This is a rather dangerous stretch."

Fischer listened as Meyers spoke with the traveling NCR soldiers. Something seemed off somehow, but he couldn't put his finger on it. One of the men in particular kept studying them, as if he was waiting. "I think we should move on. We shouldn't stick in one place for too long. And you know how they get when we take too long to patrol."

Meyer sighed. "Yeah, I suppose. Good luck, men."

One of the soldiers smirked as if some humorous joke had been told.

Meyers didn't see the machete that ran him through.

-X-

_Deathclaw_.

The reptilian death machine lumbered out of the darkness and Scarlet barely had time to duck down into hiding, pulling Rex along with her. A lot of dogs she had encountered in her lifetime would have been unable to fight that instinctual urge to charge upon the other animal, barking up a storm all the while, but Rex was a good dog. He was a smart dog. Sometimes she forgot just how much until moments like this when they were in the clutch. He always came through. However, she was certain that the creature's path was going to take it right by their hiding spot and even in the nightly dim it would surely see the two crouched there. Easy prey, especially with Scarlet's leg still on the mend.

She was starting to regret taking the short route to Black Mountain instead of going the long way around, but that would have taken much longer, and under the circumstances needed to get there as quickly as she could. From Jacobstown the fastest route was to swing around to the south end of Vegas and then take the railroad tracks passed Junction 15. There she had expected the pack of deathclaws that roamed the hills and had planned her course carefully. Sneaking passed them had been a matter of timing, proper usage or light and shadow, and staying downwind. Once clear of the danger zone she figured the worse she would have to worry about would be radscorpions or coyotes, maybe even a rogue gang of bandits. What she didn't count on was the sporadic deathclaws that seemed to pop out of nowhere.

_And that's what I get for assuming_. As quietly as she could she began to ease the shotgun she had brought off her back. It wasn't the most ideal weapon for taking out a deathclaw in her opinion; too much spread and a slow reload time would spell death. If she was lucky she and Rex might be able to skirt around the beast as it moved and avoid it altogether. She was never that lucky.

Behind her in the brush she heard a familiar scuttling sound and felt every cell in her body tense with anxiety. She chanced to take her eyes off the deathclaw to see the tail tip of a scorpion coming at her and judging by the speed it was aware of her presence. She shifted her shotgun to her left hand and reached for the knife she kept on her at all times. Usually she wouldn't have even worried about a radscorpion at all and would have just picked it off with a few well-aimed shots. Even her favored .357 would have made short work of it. However, with the deathclaw so close she didn't have the luxury of making noise.

She turned her frame just enough so that she would be able to have a quick view of both enemies in her vicinity and hoped that the bark scorpion (she recognized the coloring) wouldn't be able to get in a sting. The scorpion burst through the brush, snapping at both her and Rex. She shoved the dog back so that he wouldn't be injured and jabbed at the gigantic bug with her blade, being careful to avoid the claws. It was only a few seconds, but it seemed much longer, until she was finally able to get a good position to slam the blade up through its thick exoskeleton. Goo oozed from the wound as she withdrew and stabbed again and again, the muscles in her legs aching from her attempts to dodge the flailing stinger while remaining crouched and out of view of the deathclaw.

A last shuddering and feeble attack was its final act and it collapsed on the ground next to her. Yet she didn't have time to enjoy her victory for no matter how hard she had tried to keep the limited battle silent the deathclaw must have heard or sensed something because it was now taking great interest in her direction. She caught the familiar signs of its muscles tensing before it launched itself forward into a run on her position and she dropped her knife on the ground and grasped her shotgun firmly in both hands.

A loud blast echoed through the night and she caught the deathclaws collarbone area. It jerked momentarily before continuing its approach with a rageful cry. _Fuck me_. Its razor sharp claws drew back as it neared and headed straight at her. Before she had a chance to lunge out of the way another great shape exploding out of the dark and slammed the beast a few steps before she heard a crunch of bone. She watched in surprise as a super mutant mangled the deathclaw until it stilled and breathed no more.

The shotgun remained up and aimed, Scarlet being prepared to go on the offensive once more if need be. She had more confidence in going up against a super mutant, especially since this was what she had come to this part of the Mojave for anyway. Instead of attack the super mutant just looked down at her. "You should be more careful. Don't you know there's a lot of deathclaw around here?"

Scarlet lifted one eyebrow and dropped her gun at her side. "I do now." She allowed her gaze to sweep over the dead deathclaw a few times before speaking again. "Thanks for the assist." She reached out her free hand, which the super mutant looked at dubiously for a moment. Humans didn't usually offer greeting and thanks to his kind. "You wouldn't be Neil would you?"

The brief expression, a mix of suspicion and curiosity, in his eyes told her he probably was.

She elaborated. "If you are then Marcus sent me to talk to you. I'm a friend of his. My name's Scarlet. Others call me Courier."

"Hn. I've heard of you. The Courier, I mean. I haven't talked to Marcus in a while since I've been over here. Keeping an eye on Black Mountain."

"I know. That's the reason I'm here." She explained Crocker's request of her taking care of the mutant problem on Black Mountain and her fears for the safety of Jacobstown and other peaceful mutants. "I don't really like the idea of having to come up here and 'get rid of the problem' but it looks like Tabitha and her people aren't giving us much choice, and I would rather take out a handful of problem children then see Marcus' home destroyed because a bunch of NCR dicks don't like the way they look, y'know?"

Neil regarded her for a few seconds in silence before nodding. "Its not going to be easy. Did you come here with just a dog?" He seemed incredulous that one little human woman was going to get rid of an irradiated mountain bunker full of mutants and nightkin, but he supposed if Marcus had sent her this way he must have had some kind of faith in her survivability.

"Yeah. Just us. I didn't have a lot of time to plan and my partner is away on other business."

"I wasn't aware the Courier had a partner."

"I usually don't. It's a new thing, probably temporary, but its been working out for the both of us." It was best to keep the particulars to herself. The last thing she wasn't to do was let a super mutant know she was paling around with a member of the Legion. A lot of them didn't give two shits about the different factions, but the intelligent ones like Marcus and probably Neil would know the difference and the dangers of what the Legion represented. Vulpes had said it himself that the Legion didn't care for 'abnormalities.'

-X-

Neil and Scarlet made their way back to a makeshift shack at the bottom of Black Mountain where Neil had made his home. Scarlet pushed herself up on a table and sat down, happy to finally be at her destination and able to rest up a little while before heading up to take care of business. She discussed possible plans with Neil who seemed to know the area extremely well. He also knew a lot of the goings-on of Tabitha and her not-so-merry band of mutants and nightkin.

"Listen, I know that Marcus said that Tabitha can be pretty unreasonable, but is there any way at all you think I could try to come to a peaceful end to this?"

"Doubtful, human, but Tabitha has her days. I wouldn't recommend it."

Despite the advice she replied, "I think I'm going to try anyway. What's the harm? If I can sneak up there and find her alone maybe I can talk some sense into her. If not then I would have had to kill her anyway and at least I would be somewhere where I could _maybe_ get a tactical advantage on the others as they attack. Think you could give me a little time to try. Maybe head up and wait near where she would be in case shit goes bad."

"It probably will, but not everything is set in stone. There is one thing you may be able to use."

"Oh?"

Neil explained Tabitha's insanity, her obsession with a currently defunct Mr. Handy robot, and the ghoul that she kept prisoner until he fixed it. That was troublesome. She'd have to make sure if things did go south that this ghoul, whoever he was, wouldn't be hurt in the rabble. She didn't like having to hurt a bunch of mutants that didn't know any better under the rule of a crazy nightkin, much less having the death of an innocent person on her conscience.

"Ok, find this ghoul. He might be able to tell me something I can use to get Tabitha to listen to me. Sound like a plan?"

"Its something."

Scarlet nodded and once more adorned her equipment. "I guess this is the start. If I have any chance of sneaking up there I need to do it in the dark." Neil agreed to head up to the top about thirty minutes after she left his shack, which would give her plenty of time to get around the mutants and nightkin guarding the place. Thankfully, she had brought a few stealth boys with her and if it looked necessary she would use them to gain entry to the main area near the top. The hardest part would be getting to the ghoul and talking to Tabitha. Fighting, not so much. If that was one thing she was sure of it was that she could outsmart whatever was up there. It was kind of sad, really, but a truth none-the-less. "See you up top."

-X-

"The human's here."

Word had traveled quickly up to the summit of Black Mountain. The Nightkin known as Keene sneered as the news reached him. Unlike the Courier, he had not needed to use stealth to make it and had arrived quite a bit ahead of her. It had given him enough time to warn Tabitha that there would be a minor incursion upon her kingdom and give some pointers on how to handle it. Tabitha had been incensed, the audacity of the little creature coming to usurp the glorious State of Utobitha. Keene couldn't care less about Tabitha's kingdom, but he did care about the demise of a certain Courier and what it would mean for Jacobstown if she was gone. Since she had arrived and made friends with Marcus they had had more and more trouble. He was sick of being oogled by outsiders; Scarlet would bring more. It had to stop.

"Remember," Keene said to his fellow nightkin, "let her get here. We'll do the rest."

This would be the last time she would underestimate them.

-X-

According to Neil, the building that Tabitha was using as a prison complex (population: 1) was going to be one of the first buildings to her left upon entering the original compound of the Black Mountain Facility by road. She managed to get behind it and creep her way towards the front undetected. It was a fairly quiet night, and while she saw plenty of mutants and nightkin milling about here and there they didn't seem at all aware of her presence and made no move to intercept or impede her. That gave her a bit of hope she might just pull this whole thing off without bloodshed (Tabitha willing).

The nightkin sniper that Neil told her was usually on guard at the tower across from the line of buildings seemed to be absent this night and when she saw no one else in the area she quickly left the safety of the space between buildings and headed inside. The first room was empty, but the second was locked. Upon inspection she found a few working computer terminals and began to look for clues. She read with slight amusement the entries made by who she guessed was the ghoul prisoner. From the tone in his words she had a feeling she was going to like him. Using the passcode she uncovered from the latest entry she went to the door and hoped it worked.

The door unlocked and slid open. Sitting at a table halfway across the room with his back somewhat turned toward her was the ghoul. He was wearing an old jumpsuit and could smell the subtle aroma of dust and grease throughout. It wasn't exactly unpleasant.

"Well, that nightkin had you pinned pretty damned perfect." The ghoul didn't turn to look at her, and kept tinkering with whatever he had on the table in front of him. He had a fairly strong, but not hard to understand accent. Spanish. It had been a while since she'd heard someone with that strong of a Spanish accent.

"Excuse me?"

"This is a trap." He informed her. "I give them about thirty seconds before they burst through those doors and bash your head in – unless of course that nasty _friend_ of yours has other plans."

"What the hell are you talking about?" The last thing Scarlet expected was to find that this ghoul seemed to know more about the situation than they did. "There's almost nobody out there."

"Yeah, that's what they wanted you to think." _Now_ he looked at her. "I'm real sorry, kiddo. You look like a nice girl. I'm a little sad that nightkin was right."

"What nightkin? Tabitha?" Scarlet tried to keep as calm as she could. If this was a trap, which she had no reason to believe it wasn't, then she had sprung it and running around like a moron, even trying to escape back out the way she came would be pointless. Standing her ground was the better option. At least she could defend herself fairly easy from this vantage point. Anyone who came in the door behind her would have to funnel through the room to get to her and she would have her shotgun ready.

"No. Another one. Haven't ever seen him before. Heard something about Jacobstown. Said—"

"_Keene_." That was the only nightkin she could think of that would have come from Jacobstown that had a problem with her. "That rat bastard!"

The ghoul lifted one ruined eyebrow as she figured out the situation. "I take it that you _do_ know who set you up then."

Scarlet nodded. "And I'm going to—" At her side, Rex began to whine, his head turning to look back at the door. She pulled her gun off her back and spun around. "I'd get back. This is going to be messy."

The door to the 'prison building' opened and revealed a gaggle of mutants and nightkin. A few nightkin came first. She could make out the shimmering edges of where the stealth boys they were using bended around their bulky forms. One shot rang out, slammed into the first oncoming nightkin. A second shot accompanied a scream of pain and fury as it barreled down on her. She wasn't intimidated. She faced down a deathclaw earlier and whatever fright she had in her had fled for the night. For a few minutes she felt like she might be able to hold the position. A few of Tabitha's cannon fodder had fallen. _I mean, how many can she fucking have?_ Scarlet thought to herself.

And then her gun jammed. It wasn't like she had expected it to be the most reliable gun on the planet, but she felt betrayed by the piece of metal in her hands. "Fuck!" She supposed that was what she got for never using it though. Her .357 and the varmint rifle Sunny had given her were the only two weapons she really used an awful lot. Everything else was stored away or sold. As she fiddled with it, the room in front of her spawned more mutants, and her plan to funnel them was becoming as defunct as she was going to be if something didn't change ricky-tick. She shoved her hand in her pocket and withdrew a grenade and pulled back her hand to throw.

"No! Don't do that!" The ghoul warned, but it was too late.

The grenade soared into the minute mutant horde and exploded. Scarlet used the wall as cover and when she looked once more dust floated throughout the room so thick she couldn't see a damned thing. "Oh."

"Yeah, _oh_." The ghoul didn't sound necessarily angry with her as much as wearily annoyed with her action.

Quick, heavy footsteps crossing the concrete floor prompted the ghoul to grab Scarlet by the arm and pull her backwards toward the other side of the room. Keene appeared out of the dust, a club in his hands. Scarlet was surprised when she was forced behind the ghoul before Keene could even raise his weapon.

"Get out of the way." Keene growled. "I have no business with you, only _her._"

"You son of a bitch," Scarlet thrust an angry finger in Keene's direction, expression contorting with hate, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You haven't figured that part out, human? I thought you were smart." Keene was smug. Scarlet knew that he almost had a right to be. It wasn't very often someone managed to completely fuck her like this. "I'm going to kill you. But first I'm going to make you wish you were dead."

"That's so original." Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"That's right, boss, piss him off even more. I can see why the two of you don't get along." The ghoul shot her a glance that told her she needed to shut her mouth.

"One more chance to move or I take your rotten head off." Keene told him. Scarlet knew with as strong as he was he could have just pushed him out of the way, but he was likely looking for any excuse to do more violence.

Scarlet did the only thing she could and put a hand on the ghoul's shoulder and nudged him to the side. "Its fine. I can take care of this asshole."

Keene snorted a quick laugh. "Arrogant piss-ant."

"Bring it big, tall, and ugly, because I don't have time for you right now."

Keene took a step toward her and she lunged forward, grabbing an oil can off the table and throwing it at his face.

"Run, Rex! Go home!"

The timing was perfect and the can smacked Keene in the face just as the cyber dog bolted passed him and the other mutants guarding the door.

As he disappeared into the night Keene roared, "get that fucking dog!"

A few of the mutants turned and ran after him, but Rex would be too fast and would outmaneuver them with no problem. A smirk of victory twisted Scarlet's mouth. It was short-lived as Keene grabbed her by the back of the neck and started to haul her outside. She dug her nails into the skin of his hand, but he didn't seem to feel it. Once outside he tossed her into the dirt.

"Bring that ghoul out here, too!" Keene ordered, and a few of the mutants went back inside. A moment later he was being led out and thrown onto the ground next to Scarlet.

Tabitha, who had apparently been watching this from somewhere, came marching across the compound. "What's the meaning of this, Keene?"

"That bastard pet ghoul of yours stepped in between me and my quarry!"

"I don't care. I need him to—"

Scarlet let the two nightkin's argument drift away as she looked at the ghoul beside her. "Sorry."

The ghoul shrugged, as if he expected something like this to happen at some point.

"I'm Scarlet."

"Raul." The ghoul replied, "I'd say it's nice to meet you, but it's really not."

Scarlet sighed and put her forehead to the ground. "I really ballsed this one up."

"I won't disagree with you on that point."

Keene was finished arguing and strode up to Scarlet again, this time grasping her leg and yanking her across the ground. Although it was mostly healed it was still sore enough to cause a reaction and she cried out and tried to kick him away, but she couldn't get the right leverage. Her fingers drew eight long lines in the dust as he dragged her, which disappeared as soon as he lifted her in the air. Scarlet twisted in the nightkin's hold and saw that he had set up some kind of rope and pulley.

_He's going to hang me in the air. What the fuck?_

Keene secured her leg into the rope system and pulled it to that she was dangling a few feet off the ground. Her hair, broken loose from its ties dragged the dirt below. From her upside down view she watched as Tabitha ordered Raul back inside the prison building. He gave her one last long look before complying. Well, they'd both tried, Scarlet supposed. At least Rex got out, and as long as she was hanging here the extra blood rushing to her head might give her an idea. Well, until it started giving her a headache, and then started to cause her brain to swell. That's _if_ Keene let her live that long.

"I knew you'd be drawn to save that wretched old man, Courier." Keene gloated. "I didn't have to do much, you made my plan for me. You are so predictable. Little," he swung a fist and it crashed straight into her abdomen. He hadn't put his full power behind it, likely wanting to draw out her beating as long as possible. "Miss." He struck her again. "Hero." And once more.

"What's Marcus going to say when he finds out you killed me and put every mutant and nightkin at risk?"

"He's not going to find out."

"Keene, you don't know what you're doing." Scarlet couldn't believe the words coming out of her own mouth, but the only thing she could think to do at the moment was reason with him, like she'd come to do with Tabitha. But that was out of the picture since Keene had likely poisoned the other nightkin against her already so Keene was her only chance.

"I know exactly what I'm doing. You think I don't know about the NCR sending you up here to exterminate Tabitha's people?"

"It's not like that! I came up here to talk, Keene, I did."

"Lies, human. All that ever comes out of your mouth are lies. That's the last one you're ever going to tell." Keene hit her again. This time it was so hard that she swung dangerously. When she came back he aimed a precise hit at her head and everything went black.

-X-

The night blurred around him as he loped across the rocky ground. Down the side of the mountain and across a dusty landscape filled with big giant bugs with mean-looking pinchers. Ants, his two-legged lady friend had called them. He wanted to stop and harass them, but Lady-Friend had said to go home and she had sounded upset when she did it. Had he done something wrong? Rex didn't know what had happened but he listened to her and raced into the night.

His paws sent up tufts of dust through the air and he was panting as he reached the dark, hard dirt humans called 'road.' His pace slowed just a little as he continued on towards Home. But before he got too far a familiar scent wafted up from the ground. It was a day or so old, but he knew it as well as he knew his own. Lady's man-friend. The one that gave him snacks from Lady's bag when they had camped and scratched along his fur where the metal met flesh. So nice, because sometimes those places itched like a hundred fleas.

Lady's man-friend would take him home.

Rex shifted his path and turned to follow the man friend's scent. Passed a band of gang members camped out near a road sign, passed a small city home to a giant reptile and passed a graveyard of buildings that smelt of fresh blood and gunpowder. He topped a small hill to see the waving glint of a fire and a group of men in those red uniforms Lady-friend sometimes talked to. The closer he got the stronger the man friends smell was until he could see him amongst the uniformed men. He was laughing and talking with another man, but that laughing stopped when he spotted Rex bounding toward him, tongue lolling and tail wagging happily.

-X-

It was late by the time that they had finished with Ranger Station Charlie. The NCR soldiers had put up a fight, but with their minor numbers it wasn't a long one. Vulpes' men were too well-trained and had planned for this for weeks. They knew every possible trap and every soldier stationed in there. Across the fire, bound and gagged were the last two survivors. They'd taken them for questioning and when Vulpes' team of Frumentarii back at the Fort were done with them they'd likely have more intel on the NCR's movements in the area surrounding Novac. They had been coming awfully close to Nelson and they needed to know what the NCR had planned.

Vulpes finished his small plate of dinner and set it aside while he spoke to one of the newest recruits about being out in the field. He was in the middle of giving the man some pointers about getting the optimum damage with a machete when he spotted a dark shape sprinting out of the night. He squinted his eyes to see more clearly through the dim and was shocked to see the Courier's dog coming right at them. What was perplexing was that Scarlet was nowhere to be seen.

He stood and whistled, calling the animal over to him. The other Legionaries stopped talking and looked at the pair in confusion. "Where's Scarlet?"

Rex whined and looked behind him from the direction he'd come. He pawed Vulpes' knee and sat down.

Vulpes pointed at one of the scouts. "You, with me."

"What is it?" The head of the raid camp asked.

"This is the Courier's dog. She never lets him run off by himself. I think something's happened."

One of the NCR soldiers eyes widened at the mention of the Courier.

Vulpes sneered at the man. "Oh, don't think salvation has come. Scarlet's a close friend of mine. That's right," he purred, pushing the man over with his boot and holding him down, "the Courier is working with me and soon she'll be with _us_. But that's ok, because you're not going to tell anyone, are you?" The barb might have been unnecessary, but a sharp and sudden need for violence had risen in him.

Some of the other men laughed behind him, but Vulpes wasn't in a good mood anymore. He turned his back on the prisoners and walked back over to where his pack was and grabbed it off the ground. _You're supposed to be on the Strip. Why is Rex out here?_ _Because she left that Strip, that's why._ He was torn between concern and anger at Scarlet. His anger would have to wait until he was sure she was safe though. However, if she had sent Rex away then that meant she was in serious danger and he wouldn't have much time to find her before there wasn't anything left to find.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Never Could Have Been Worse** - With Scarlet a little tied up, Vulpes may be her only chance at getting out alive. And Keene's vendetta with Scarlet comes to a final and bloody head.

Hope to see you all soon! R&R!


	20. Never Could Have Been Worse

I took a break from writing this chapter because I wasn't sure of it when I first wrote it and then time got away from me. I had a friend move in with me and I've been helping him with stuff. A few days ago I opened the file for this chapter and re-read through and did some edits, finished it up and can finally post it. The last scene isn't 100 percent with me, but it's not too bad either. I've kept you guys waiting way too long. But no matter how long it takes I plan to finish this. And I miss you guys too much when I'm away for so long!

I've also been working on trying to find a website I can use to move my blog over. I think I finally found one that I can use to archive my stories and other articles neatly. Also been wanting to try to use my facebook page more, so if interested in bugging me on it go to the link in my profile here. Much love!

So here's chapter 20. Enjoy! (And for some of the requests people have made for this chapter, sorry I couldn't try to work some stuff in, but I had already had it mostly written before I got the reviews, which I am always so thankful for.)

Oh, welcome new fans! Its nice to have you aboard.

* * *

**Chapter XX**

Never Could Have Been Worse

* * *

"You get in more trouble than anyone I have ever had the displeasure to meet."

Keene had vanished in between the time he had knocked Scarlet into a short, unwanted nap, and when she had woken up. The sadistic bastard was probably somewhere close by though, watching her dangle helplessly. Throughout the night she had wracked her brain, attempting to come up with some sort of plan that ended with her taking his head off. Of course, she would have to get down first, and it looked like that wasn't happening any time soon. She had tried to reach where she had been tied, but she was weak in this position, weaker than the gravity that forced her to remain almost completely straight upside down.

First she had held out that Neil would come to her rescue, but as the hours ticked by she was sure that he had seen her hanging up there and realized just what a failure the mission had been and he'd gone back about his business. Who was she to him except for some random human Marcus had sent? It was a depressing thought that despite how hard she had worked her ass off for their kind that she would just be so easily discarded.

At this point she was certain she was getting some kind of brain damage because she was beginning to have hallucinations. No, scratch that, one very vivid and annoying hallucination. "Why don't you go haunt someone else, you big jerk?" Scarlet muttered, peering up and the man who was leaning against the tower just a few feet away from her, smoking a cigarette.

"Now, is that anyway to talk to your old friend, doll?"

"I don't know what's worse, that out of everyone I could have possibly started to imagine my brain digs up _you_ or that I'm imagining shit in the first place." She knew which one really bothered her more, but she wasn't going to say it out loud. To be honest, the silence had been the worst part of hanging here. If it had been Vulpes, or Arcade, or Julie, or hell even Caesar, she would have just rolled with it and accepted it. However, having the dead chairman loitering about reminding her just how big she fucked up was just getting on her nerves.

Benny dropped his cigarette to the ground and put it out with his foot, his brows knitting as he watched her. "You know, I'm going to ignore your foul mood and take it as you're just upset because of what Keene did to you."

"Yes, because having a dead man hanging out with you wouldn't upset me _at all_." Scarlet fumed. "If you're going to be here why don't you be useful?"

"Sorry, no can do." He held up his arms in a hands-off gesture. "That's off limits."

"Mostly because you're not real."

"Now you're just hurting my feelings."

Scarlet dropped back into what she reluctantly called a relaxed position, causing her to swing a bit back and forth. "Whatever."

Benny crouched in front of her and she swore that he actually blocked out the sun. But that couldn't be possible because he was just a figment of her imagination. "Don't look so defeated; I don't really like that look on you."

"What else am I supposed to do? At some point that bastard nightkin is going to get tired of watching me squirm and come kill me. There's no way down and no one knows I'm here. It looks pretty bleak here, Benny." Yeah, she was pretty fucked and she had accepted that she might not make it out of this one. Scratch that: _wouldn't_ make it out of this one. "Why do you care anyway?"

"Oh, because you killed me, right." Benny crossed his arms over his knees thoughtfully. "I don't hold that against you. You had to do it. I could tell you didn't want to. Plus, you took care of House, so I guess I owe you for that."

"I didn't want to do that either." Scarlet wasn't above admitting when she had made a mistake. House needed to be out of the way, but now the thought that she had killed not just one but two people for the Legion was a weight on her mind. She had tried to ignore that feeling for a while, that cold sensation that if her Dad were here he would be clearly disappointed in her choices. Or maybe that was just her conscience. She had never hurt anyone before that wasn't trying to actively kill her before becoming wrapped up in the war for the Mojave.

"Then why did you?" Benny was starting to sound like a goddamned therapist. It made Scarlet want to punch him in the fucking nose.

Instead she just let out an irritated breath and ignored the question, once more glancing up to examine the bonds that held her there.

The Chairman stood back up and went back to his previous position. Scarlet tried to make sure he didn't see that her eyes followed his movements. She noted the shadow that had fallen over her had disappeared. _I'm so far gone that my brain is convincing my senses this is real._ It was amazing how quickly one's mind could go when in a situation like this. "He's not going to let you die, kiddo."

"Excuse me?"

Benny pretended not to hear her and continued, "I've done some pretty crazy things in my life – some of them awful, as you know – but I never did anything for love. I'm assuming you love him."

Scarlet didn't have to even guess what he was talking about. "Now I know that you're a hallucination. The _real_ Benny would have never said something so retarded."

Benny smiled. It was a queer sort of smile that barely touched his lips but shone brightly and knowingly in his eyes. It was soft and somewhat kind and a little mischievous all at the same time. Scarlet didn't want to look at his anymore and made like she was scanning the camp. When she looked back at where Benny had been standing he was gone.

"That's right, asshole, run away again. You're really good at that."

In the back of her mind she imagined she could hear him laughing.

-X-

Vulpes Inculta didn't know how or why Scarlet had managed to find herself atop Black Mountain. He was sure that she was going to try to tell him all about the bleeding heart scheme that led her here when she was freed, but frankly he didn't give a shit what it was. He was in the mood to throttle the life out of her the second those super mutants were dead. He had given her an order and she had disobeyed. _What did you expect, Vulpes, really,_ he told himself, _she's from the world of profligates. Logic doesn't seem to be a strong trait amongst them._

"Sir, the men are in position." The leader of the raiding party almost appeared out of nowhere in a crouch beside him. Vulpes could tell by the expression on his face that he was wondering why they were here. They were aware of the Courier's importance to the Legion, to some degree, but this should have been a sign that maybe she wasn't as resourceful as originally thought. If one of their own men had gotten themselves in a mess like this they would have left him to rot. How was he supposed to explain the complexity of this situation? Especially without looking like a fool.

_I should have chained her up before I left._ He meant it.

"Good," Vulpes replied, "on my order we destroy everything on this mountain except for the Courier. Beware of the pockets of radiation, and where possible, avoid them." They had their natural remedies for radiation sickness, but they weren't well stocked and what they had they usually withheld for their special teams.

Vulpes laid a hand on Rex's back, considering the events that had led them here. Rex had spared no time showing Vulpes where his Mistress was trapped, and Vulpes knew he had to act quickly as soon as he saw Keene amongst the mutants milling about the area. He had always had a feeling that he would prove to be a problem for the Courier despite her convictions that he was fairly harmless even though they argued. It would take someone like Scarlet to think that a nightkin could act in a rational manner.

It didn't take long to get the raid team ready for another mission, and though they were tired from the attack on Charlie they were true Legionaries and ready for battle no matter what. They didn't complain when he gave the order to march out and head for Black Mountain. True to the end. It did not sit well with him that these men had to put their lives on the line because Scarlet had disobeyed him. He hoped that she would realize the severe error in judgment she had made. If she didn't then he was certain he would make sure she learned it.

Going in immediately had been out of the question. The mutants had been worked up from whatever had occurred during the Courier's capture and Vulpes even saw some of them dragging the deceased bodies of others out to an unknown location. He didn't want to consider what beasts like this did with their dead. The more he watched them, the more differences he could pick out between these and the mutants that Scarlet had befriended in Jacobstown. They weren't as bright and seemed to have no discernable structure outside of listening to the strange looking leader and Keene.

But the sun was high in the sky now and the mutants seemed to be returning to what he assumed was their regular routines. Many disappeared completely, likely sleeping or attending to other business away from the main camp. With their numbers small this would be the best time to attack. Even if others arrived after the fighting started it would be too late to make a difference and they would take them out, one after the other. He didn't doubt that there would be injuries on his side, however.

Vulpes motioned to the closest soldier and vacated his hiding spot, as did the others. He leveled the rifle in his hands at the first mutant, it's back still turned, unaware that an assault had just begun, and fired. It didn't instantly kill the creature, but a second quick shot proved to be fatal as its head was torn into bits. Others, hearing the shot turned to the interlopers.

"The battle-cattle are attacking!"

Vulpes lips curled into a sinister smile. This fight shouldn't be happening, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to enjoy every minute of it. Cleansing this world of filth was his life's work and he took pride in his job.

-X-

All Scarlet wanted was a drink of water. At this point even the irradiated stuff would have been acceptable. A long time ago, in a much different life she vaguely recalled her mother telling her about how long someone could live without water; it hadn't been very long. She wondered if she was near that point yet, or if her bleak attitude was making time seem longer. _How far the mighty have fallen, huh?_

"Regretting poking your nose in business that isn't yours, human?" Keene had seemed to amble out of nowhere to appear right before her. _And I'm losing my ability to keep track of my surroundings…_

Scarlet pretended to think about the question for a few seconds before replying, "Not yet. Although I do want to lodge a complaint about the service here. It's atrocious and I don't think I shell be returning."

"Still so arrogant." Keene sneered. "Do you think you're going to be rescued?"

Scarlet went to shrug and found the action awkward from the position she was in, but she managed it anyway. "Didn't actually consider it this time." It was true. Part of her had already accepted that she was likely not making it out of this situation, although she was unsure why she wasn't panicking yet. Maybe she didn't have it in her to care anymore.

That apparently wasn't the answer that Keene had been looking for. He remained quiet for a moment as if he was considering something and then decided to go forth with his plan. "That's unfortunate then, since I wanted so much to take that away from you myself. No matter. At least this gives me peace of mind." Keene nodded at another mutant, who then stepped forward to toss something onto the ground. At first Scarlet couldn't figure out what it was, but as the dawning horror melted on her face Keene smirked in only a way insane nightkin could smirk, "Found your partner sneaking around. Tabitha didn't think he was a threat, and he might not have been for her, but he's a spy for Marcus so I took care of him."

Neil. Neil's _head_. That's what the other mutant had dropped. Scarlet felt sick. This was her fault. If Keene hadn't been willing to go so far to take her down then this wouldn't have happened, and now there was nothing that she could do to erase what had happened. She had finally given up on testing the fates and actually try to survive in this world and it seemed that this was exactly what the powers that me had been waiting for.

"Finally, _speechless_."

No, _this_ was the moment that Scarlet would give up. "I'm done. You win. No one else dies, do you understand?" All the humor and pretense was gone from her voice. The verbal baiting was over, the mind games. Keene had stolen the victory, and in a way that made Scarlet feel like shit for even considering playing.

"Except you."

"Except me."

Keene took this as a satisfactory conclusion to events and reached up to lift the Courier off of the hook holding her immobile. He dropped her onto the ground and she managed to wiggle up into a sitting position; quite a feat considering both her ankles and wrists were tied. Even though there was no way she could run like this she decided not to even try. Even if she did escape he would find other ways to torture her. Maybe he would kill Marcus and take over Jacobstown or track down Vulpes and smash his head in just because he'd seen them traveling together. She wasn't going to let anyone else become collateral damage.

Scarlet closed her eyes and waited for the killing blow.

It never came.

Two gunshots.

Her eyes snapped opened just in time to hear a mutant or a nightkin (she couldn't tell which was which when they spoke) screaming about 'battle-cattle.' What the hell were battle-cattle? Keene was just as shocked by this sudden cry as she was, but as he turned to glower down at her she knew that at least he was aware of what they were. "You! You did this!" The confusion must have been evident on her face, but that didn't matter to Keene, who pointed at the mutant standing beside him, "take her somewhere and don't let her escape." With that he was gone.

Scarlet took this as her chance. She edged beneath the guard tower where she had been hanging to escape the reach of the mutant left behind with her. She kicked with both of her bound feet at his head when he tried to get through the crisscrossed metal. As she backed up she found a broken piece of metal jutting out and started working at the rope around her wrists. It was tough going especially since she had to keep kicking at the mutant. But suddenly her wrists came free and she grabbed a rock and swung it at its head. It hit the creature's temple and it roared. In that moment she untied her feet and weaved through the metal struts until she came out the back.

By this time the mutant at the top of the guard tower with some sort of missile launcher was taking aim at whoever was attacking Black Mountain. Scarlet climbed up the side and looked out over the battlefield to see what was going on. Relief swelled in her chest as she recognized the uniforms on the men fighting the mutants. _**Legion**_!

She hoisted herself over the edge of the guard tower just in time to catch the launcher-wielder unawares. She grabbed a rifle leaning against the railing and fired. As it tried to spin around to attack her she leveled one good kick at its off-balance form and sent it screaming over the edge. It wasn't very high, but it would be enough of a fall to stun it for a few moments. Scarlet hauled the missile launcher up and slung it over the fence.

Before the mutant could recover and come after her she slid back down off the guard tower and raced off with the rifle over her shoulder. However, something in the crowd caught her eye and she stopped with such abruptness that it was as if something in her brain just shut off at the mere sight of it. _No, it can't be_. Benny had been a hallucination driven by severity of her situation, but now she no longer felt that. Yet there was his signature checkered coat. He seemed to go unnoticed by all combatants, all but her. As soon as she fully had him in view he strolled off into the battle. Sometime he was visible, sometimes he wasn't. That didn't stop her from following him, driven by an urge she couldn't explain. Each step brought her closer to him, and finally she reached out, close enough to touch. In that moment he vanished and instead, in his place –

"Vulpes!" If there hadn't been a bloody battle going on around them she could have thrown her arms around him and held on with everything she had. At his side, fighting as bravely and as ruthless was Rex. _Thank god he's safe!_

The Frumentarius jerked his head to look at her, obviously shocked to see her so close. The shock transformed into relief, and then to anger. He ducked under the swung of a mutant, who was taken straight into the firing line of another Legionary, and grabbed Scarlet by the arm and hauled her through the chaos until they were between two buildings, mostly safe from crossfire and the sight line of enemies. He pulled her down next to him. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Vulpes, I'm sorry—" Scarlet's happy reunion had become the equivalent of a parent scolding their child for a monumentally stupid act. She felt ashamed despite knowing the full story of why she had to come out here. Somehow, she realized, she knew that Vulpes would neither care nor agree.

Vulpes held up his hand, "later. For now you STAY! HERE!" He punctuated each word with a finger pointing the ground where she knelt. "Rex, stay." He looked at the animal and motioned to Scarlet. "Guard her." He reached over and patted Rex's head quickly before he rose and disappeared back into the din. He hadn't even given her the chance to speak at all. Even though she knew she could aid in the battle now that she had a weapon she didn't dare chance that with Vulpes looking so pissed off.

"I think I'm in trouble, boy." She told Rex, who just laid down with his head in his paws and whined. Yep. In trouble. Even the damned dog knew it.

-X-

The mutants might have had brawn on their side, but it meant nothing when going up against Caesar's highly trained soldiers. If the NCR had wanted they could have taken this place easily. That realization made her furious that they had sent her to take care of this on her own rather than spare a small contingency for an afternoon, especially when this place had been such a danger to travelers and NCR caravans. As important as they claimed that she was to their endeavors they sure as hell liked to send her into situations where she would likely be killed. Yet, here she was, waiting for a Legion officer to return to her side after he'd brought his own men to rescue her. She would have laughed at that if she wasn't so fucking tired.

It could have been forever or just five minutes, but the fighting began to die down, the ground littered with corpses and splattered with the blood of nightkin and mutants. There was one particular area where a group of Legion soldier had found a good position and held it without one enemy breaching their circle of fire.

Finally a shadow blocked her view and Vulpes stood above her, his uniform splashed with a red just slightly darker than its normal color. He reached down a hand and she took it without argument and he pulled her to her feet. "They're all dead. All the ones that didn't run, that is." He told her, tone short and businesslike.

The air around them was tense, as if his rage was a beast unto itself, formless, deadly. Like the radiation that encircled Black Mountain. Scarlet said nothing.

"Do you have _any_ idea what you've done? What do you not understand about stay put until I come back?" His slender fingers gripped her chin and yanked her face to look at him. The ferocity in his eyes cut her gaze like a knife. "Do you think that this entire thing is a game?" Scarlet opened her mouth, but Vulpes continued, "and before you even think of trying to crack a joke, look at me and tell if it I am in a jesting mood?"

"I'm sorry."

Without warning Vulpes released her chin and slapped her across the face. She grabbed the throbbing cheek with a cry of surprise. Vulpes wasn't finished yet. "I have one man out there with a broken arm and another with broken ribs. Go tell them that you're sorry. They shouldn't have had to come here and save you. You're supposed to be our ace in the hole, not our burden to bear!"

"I meant to stay on the Strip, I did, but then Crocker needed me to—"

Crocker's name was like a whip that struck Vulpes somewhere unpleasant. His face melted into disbelief and his voice dropped to a dangerous octave. "You threw what I told you out the window because the NCR lapdog wanted you to go on a suicide mission?"

"It wasn't—"

"It wasn't a mild suggestion to stay home!" Vulpes raised his hand again and Scarlet was certain he would strike her again, but instead he just lowered it slowly, as if he was having a hard time controlling himself. His hand shook, either from rage or the aftereffects of adrenaline leaving his body. "You made me look like a fool." Even his voice quavered. "You're supposed to be under my supervision. Do you know how this makes me look to my men?"

"I'll take the responsibility for it."

"Don't you see? You don't _get_ to take the responsibility for this, because I'm the one in charge of you. Do you think they understand the subtle nuances, the complexity of this ally-ship with you? Caesar tasked me with it because I could and I did. You'll be lucky if he doesn't revoke the agreement between the two of you and force you to make a choice now." He took a deep breath. "At least look thoroughly punished when we go out there."

"That shouldn't be too hard." Scarlet replied, still rubbing her cheek.

-X-

The Legion didn't immediately leave Black Mountain. Some of the men were wounded and were taken to one of the tents nearby that Vulpes deemed a temporary aid station. It seemed like multiple soldiers had some sort of medic training. Scarlet offered her own services at first, but Vulpes was insistent upon keeping her by his side from that moment on. She stayed silent as he discussed plans to have a special team come and take possession of the place. The NCR hadn't put in any effort for the place and it would make a decent base of operations for a small contingency of Legion forces.

Scarlet didn't disagree with that choice. It would actually make a good place to set up if you could avoid the pockets of heavy radiation. The special team Vulpes spoke of was probably one with the training and ability to find these pockets. As Vulpes lined out the plans she stroked Rex's fur in an attempt to get her mind off of the events that had just unfolded. She had no idea how she was supposed to tell Marcus she got someone killed.

As night began to fall one of the soldiers came over. "Sir, we have a problem in one of the buildings. There is a door that is locked and we're pretty sure that someone's inside."

Vulpes' eyes flickered over to Scarlet, silently asking her if she knew who it was. She shook her head. "I heard that the leader, Tabitha, has a prisoner here." She answered, remembering what Neil had told her before she started her journey up the mountain.

"We'll be right there." He got to his feet and motioned for her to follow.

She grabbed his arm and whispered, "you might want to have your men leave when we open the door. It's supposed to be a ghoul. I know how the Legion is with that."

Vulpes looked irritated that she was asking for a favor but waved her off in agreement. At least he could still reason.

When they got inside Vulpes looked at his men, "go take a break. You all deserve it."

Without question they filed out. When they were gone he inquired if she knew how to get inside. "Let me see." She wasn't that great with technology. After a few minutes of examining the lock she spotted a working computer terminal and went to see if it was linked to the door. What she found was a series of diary-like entries from who she assumed was the prisoner. The more she read the more amused she was. At the end it talked about a code for the door and she read it out to Vulpes.

Vulpes pressed the door control and as soon as it opened he was staring into the barrel of a gun. Vulpes went for his own weapon and Scarlet had to jump up and grab his arm. "Wait! Hey, everyone calm down! Its safe."

Inside was Tabitha's prisoner. One ghoul mechanic. Check. "Humans." He muttered. "Here I thought someone had decided to overthrow Tabitha." He put the gun away, but seemed to watch Vulpes warily, obviously taking in his uniform.

"I'm Scarlet." The Courier stepped forward, extending a hand. "And this handsome brute is Vulpes."

"You're the one that new nightkin was after." The ghoul said, "It seems his plan failed." He took Scarlet's hand after a moment of thought.

"You knew?"

"I hear things." The ghoul told her, "I'm Raul Tejada."

"Pleased to meet you." Scarlet smiled.

"I don't think your friend agrees." Raul nodded at Vulpes, who had gone to sit at one of the chairs, looking pretty exhausted.

"Yeah, he's a little mad at me right now. Don't worry about him though. He's a friend of mine."

"Friends with a Legionary?" Raul was both curious and amused at this.

"_Long_ story."

"I would imagine it is."

"What are we going to do with him?" Vulpes interrupted. "He's seen you with us. You know what that means, Scarlet."

"No!" Scarlet spun. "That's unnecessary. He probably doesn't even know who I am."

"I can't take that chance." Vulpes had his hand on his weapon.

Scarlet went to protest, but the ghoul was already speaking in his own defense. "I've been through Caesar's territory. You boys do a fine job keeping the riff-raff off the roads. Wish the NCR was as good at that as you are. Might not be in this situation."

Vulpes narrowed his eyes at him, thinking.

"I'm not saying I'm a friend," Raul continued, "but I'm not an enemy either. None of this is my business." He held up his hands.

"Vulpes, please. I can't take anymore bloodshed today." Scarlet begged. She was being truthful. Getting Vulpes to agree not to kill Raul wouldn't make up for Neil, but it go a long way to salvage her state of mind.

"How do I explain to my men that we're making a philanthropic gesture towards someone of no interest to us, a ghoul no less?"

"Say he's a friend of mine." Scarlet said. "Say he's the reason I came up here. Makes me an emotional, but loyal sort to them." Which was true. "Takes some of the blame off you and everyone's happy."

The look on Vulpes' face told her that everyone would be happy except him. "If I am asked about it then I will say so, but I won't offer lies to my men."

"That's why I like you, Vulpes Inculta. You're so damned honorable." She grinned and rubbed his shoulder in appreciation.

"Tonight, the two of you stay in here. Tomorrow, I take you back to the stripe where you _will_ stay or so help me…"

"You won't have to worry about that."

"Make sure I don't."

* * *

So I finally have Raul in here! Been waiting so long for this chapter. Next chapter, Scarlet, Vulpes, Rex, and Raul head toward the Strip as Scarlet deals with disappointing Vulpes.

Until then, thoughts on this chapter?


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